AN 



APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC, 




EXPOSITION 

OF THE CONDUCT OF 

REV. ISAAC JEJVJVISO.X A1VD OTHERS, 

IN LUDLOW, IN THE MONTHS OF 

FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1888. 

ALSO, 

AN ADDRESS 



TO THE 

ZiOCAZi PREACHERS OF THE METHODIST 
EPISCOPAL CHURCH ; 

WITH REMARKS ON THE GOVERNMENT, DISCIPLINE 
AND MONIED SYSTEM OF SAID CHURCH. 



BY ALEXANDER M'i.EAJY f 




MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL 



" There are many unruly and vain talkers, whose mouths must be 
stopped." — St. Paul. 
" Be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your master even Christ, 
and all ye are brethren." — Christ. 



U. S. A 



BELCHERTOWN t 

PRINTED BY C. A. WARREN. 

1828. 



Memo. The publication of this volume has been unex- 
pectedly delayed, by causes beyond the author's controul. 
The Printer deeply regrets the disappointment occasioned 
by this delay, and offers as an apology, the unusual pressure 
of other business in the office, of an urgent and interesting 
nature. 



Preface, 



The writer of the following pages, having been suddenly, unexpectedly, violently, and 
•unjustly attacked by preachers and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now 
makes his appeal to an enlightened and Christian public. 

My accusers were professed brethren in Christ ; members of the same church and 
communion. I have been accused of various crimes and misdemeanors, and cited to ap- 
pear before an Ecclesiastical Committee of Inquiry. In obedience to this citation I 
appeared ; and after a long, patient, and thorough examination of the charges preferred 
against me, said Committee decided, that no charge was so found, as to convict me of 
any crime that would exclude me from the church, or its holy ministry. 

The decision of the Committee being in my favor, only served to enrage my opponents, 
more especially the Rev. Isaac Jennison, the preacher in charge, who had taken the lead 
in all the operations against me. Soon after the trial, he said he was dissatisfied with 
the decision. As the discipline of the Methodist Episcopal church gave him no right to 
appeal the case, and as he doubtless had heard that I had withdrawn from the Methodist, 
eonnexion, or was about so to do, — in order to rob me of the credit, and honor, of leaving 
the connexion with a fair, unspotted character ; eight days after my acquittal, as above 
stated, Mr. Jennison came into the town in which I reside, and after much inquiry and 
undue influence, made up thiee charges against me ; and by uniting with them one of 
the charges in his first letter of citation, made up the even number four. 

Eleven days after my trial and acquittal as above, I received a second letter from 
Mr. Jennison, dated March 11, 1828, citing me to appear before a Committee of Inquiry 
on the 27th of the same month. Immediately I wrote a line to Mr. Jennison, informing 
him that I had withdrawn from the Methodist connexion, and that I did not consider 
myself accountable to him or them He replied by letter, asserting that I did belong to 
said connexion, and renewing his citation of the -11th. I was now well satisfied that it, 
was the object of Jennison and his confederates, so to concert and arrange their system 
of operations against me, that on the second trial, (so called,) they might effect what they 
failed to accomplish at the first ; viz. my condemnation, followed by excommunication ; 
that I might, in this way.be disgraced, and my access to the christian community, in tho 
character of a minister of the gospel, be completely cut off. 

As the first and second attacks on me by the Methodists, with their final issue, have 
caused much inquiry in different parts of the country, where I have travelled as a Metho* 
dist preacher, I think it a duty I owe myself, my much injured family, the public, and the 
cause of truth, to publish to the world a history of the whole affair. I do this , 1 sincerely 
believe, not in the spirit of retaliation. It has never been a trait in my character, I hum- 
bly trust, to return evil for evil, and railing for railing ; I had much rather return good 
for evil. And I do verily believe much good will result to me, in the overruling provi- 
dence of God, from that, which, by my opponents, was designed for evil. " The wrath 
ef mao shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain," 



4 



I feel deeply and solemnly impressed with the consideration, that I am fast hastening 
to my last great and final account Before the righteous Judge of all the Earth, I ex- 
pect soon to appear, to answer for all my behaviour in this world. I write in view of 
that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed ; and in view of my responsi- 
bility to the public, to the church, and to my God. 

I feel it to be my duty to publish to the world the treatment I have received of late 
from certain members of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; a church of which I have 
been a member for 36 years ; and from which I haVe conscientiously withdrawn. I do 
hope that an enlightened and compassionate public, will give the following pages an at- 
tentive reading, and an impartial consideration. I mean not to " extenuate, nor aught 
set down in malice." 

I likewise feel in duty bound to call the attention of the Ministers and Members, 
especially the Local Preachers, to a serious consideration of some things in the govern- 
ment and discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which have been a source of 
grief to me for years, as unquestionably they have been to many in your connexion. I 
do this, not supposing my talents are adequate to the task of doing full justice to the 
subject, but with the hope that the few hints, I may offer, will influence an abler pen to 
Tindicate the cause of that injured and oppressed body of excellent men, Methodist Lo- 
cal Preachers, and likewise check the growth of those sore evils, so perceptible in the 
Methodist connexion. 

A Methodist of long and respectable standing, asked me, not long since, if I intended 
publishing to the world the treatment of my brethren, of whom I complained ; I replied, 
I intend so to do. He cautioned me to be careful what I published ; for, said he, we 
have become a great and powerful people, and you will find it hard contending with us. 
I informed him my object was not to provoke controversy, but to defend my character as 
a citizen, and a Christian minister ; and in a becoming manner, call the attention of those 
who were formerly my brethren to a consideration of those evils, which I verily believed 
did exist in their connexion. However much men may glory in their numbers and 
Strength, yet " truth is mighty, and will prevail." 

And here, with confidence I rest my cause. I am aware it will be said by some 
Methodist bigots, that I have written in a bad spirit ; and that my object in publishing 
what I have, is to injure the Methodist denomination. But who, I ask, will say rhcse 
things? Who will thus accuse me? Will it be the plain, meek, humble, old-fashioned 
Methodist ? Or will it not rather be the gay, assuming, proud, new-fashioned Methodis^ 
who will say, " Prophesy unto us smooth things." Judge, all ye people* 



PART X. 



A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE WRITER'S FIRST TRIAL, Sec. 

The town of Ludlow, Hampden Co. Mass., being the place in which T, 
Alexander M'Lean, reside, and in which I have endured many severe and 
cutting trials, it may not be improper or uninteresting to give a short ac- 
count of my introduction into said town in the character of a Minister of the 
Gospel, with a sketch of the rise and progress of Methodism in the place, 
from -hat time to the present. 

In the month of October 1813, the inhabitants of Ludlow, in town meet- 
ing, legally assembled, passed a vote, inviting me to supply the desk for one 
year, making ample provision for my support. I accepted their invitation ; 
and on the first Sabbath in November following, commenced my ministerial 
services with flattering prospects. In the course of the year, much atten- 
tion was paid to the subject of religion, and many professed to experience it, 
and appeared to rejoice in its divine consolations. Every thing moved 
pleasantly and agreeably between myself and the inhabitants ot the town, 
until the Methodist travelling preachers introduced themselves into the 
place, and at an unseasonable time, made an attempt to form a Society. 
About twelve persons were formed into a class ; the class placed under the 
care of the travelling connexion ; and the town taken into Tolland circ lit. 

These movements greatly disaffected many of the inhabitants ; they con- 
tended they had a right to choose their own minister ; they were unwilling 
to be obliged to receive any person whom the Bishop might please to send ; 
and said the course pursued by the Methodists, would involve me in difficulty 
with the people. This placed me in a very unpleasant and trying situation. 
Notwithstanding all that occurred, I continued to preach, as the town's Min- 
ister for six years; at the expiration of which time, the Congregationalisms, by 
a majority of votes, obtained the Meeting house, and ministerial fund, and 
soon after settled the Rev. Mr. Wright, a respectable clergyman, who still 
continues with them in much harmony and love. 

A portion of the inhabitants formed themselves into a Religious Society, 
by the name of the Methodist Episcopal Society, and chose me for their 
Minister, which relation continued until the first of March, 1828. Since 
the settlement of Rev. Mr. Wright, and my establishment over the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Society, few towns, it is presumed, have enjoyed moie tran- 
quility than Ludlow. 

In the autumn of 1827, a revival of religion commenced in the town ; the 
Methodist Travelling Preachers were active in it ; they added a considera- 
ble number to the Church, and took charge of them. In the month of Feb- 
ruary, 1827, a meeting was called, to see if the members of the Methodist 
Church, and their friends, thought it expedient to unite in erecting a Chap- 
el. The conclusion was to draft subscription papers. This was done with- 
out delay; I was active in their circulation ; obtained generous subscrip- 
tions j subscribed liberally myself; and it was believed the sums subscribed^ 



with considerable assistance, would warrant the undertaking. At the open, 
ingof the spring, the business was commenced with much spirit and energy ; 
on the 10th of May, the Chapel was raised ; and on the first Sabbath in Aug. 
made comfortable to meet in. 

Soon I noticed, as did others who named it to me, that a disposition was 
manifested by the travelling preachers to keep me on the back ground. I 
said but little in presence of the circuit preachers, fearing they might tmnk 
I was assuming that which did not belong to me. It was mentioned to me 
by a member of the church, that my company was not desired in their reli- 
gious meetings; that the young converts could not enjoy themselves when I 
was present: that the young preachers felt themselves cramped when they 
preached ; and that when I spake after them, I picked their discourses in 
pieces. In fact, one of the circuit preachers stated to me, in substance, 
that in several instances, I had injured his feelings, when I spake after iiim ; 
and that some of the congregation, who heard me, thought I crowded him, 
hard, and used him unhandsomely. Furthermore, it was said, if I had the 
charge of the society, it would go down, &lc,. &,c. 

I saw how things were moving, and thought it might possibly be prudent, 
(existing circumstances considered,) to accept the advice of the travelling 
preachers, who had long been urging me to leave the town, and unite with 
the travelling connexion. The result of this experiment you will soon sre. 

I am now decided in the opinion, that had there been no Methodist Chap- 
el built in Ludlow, and no prospect of influencing a part of the society to 
place themselves under the direction of the Bishop and travelling preachers, 
I should not have received such cruel treatment from my brethren. The 
more I examine the proceedings against me, the more fully am I convinced 
that my opinion is correct, Even my opponents themselves, on calm re- 
flection, cannot believe the hearsay stories, related before the Committee of 
Inquiry, to be facts. 

Well and truly did a certain Justice of the peace express himself, when 
hearing my second trial, (so called,) " hearsay evidence would not be ad- 
mitted in a civil court." But the travelling preachers present, and the Coun- 
cil* listened with fixed attention, and apparent delight, to the relation of 
hearsay, vexatious falsehoods, and silly tales. 

As to the charges preferred against me at my first trial, it may not be 
improper to introduce those only, on which the greatest stress was laid, and 
to prove which, extraordinary exertions were made, but to no effect. This 
I do to convince the reader that I am correct in believing that it was the 
object of my opponents to break up the connexion existing between me ancl 
the Methodist Legalf Society in Ludlow, and to take the chapel, church, 
and society into their own hands. 

I now proceed to the account of my first trial. I wish it to be observed 
that I petitioned for a copy of the doings of the Council, signed by the 

*. Committee of Inquiry and Council, T shall consider one and the same. 
; The society formed about the time of Rev. 'r. Wright's settlement in Ludlow; as 
distinguished from the Methodist Episcopal Church, &c. 



i 



president and Secretary ; but my request was denied. TTence I present 
the public with the account taken from minutes taken at the triaJ. 

Ecclesiastical Court of Inquiry , Ludlow, Mass. February 29th, 182S. 

Present. Rev. Isaac Jennison, Preacher in Charge ; Rev. Joshua Crowell,, 
(President,) Rev. G. Hawley, and Rev. U. Clough, Committee of Inquiry. 
Meeting opened by prayer by Rev. J. Crowell. 

Witnesses called — Henry Fuller and Jared Carver, present ; Anna Day 
and Zera Fuller, confined by sickness, but sent depositions: depositions 
from two women, in Connecticut, (names of deponents unknown to me,) 
were also produced. 

After the names of the witnesses were called, I rose, and requested liberty 
to read an address to the Committee of Inquiry, which I had written. This 
request was denied. I now think it proper to present this address to the 
public, that the undue advantage taken of me by Mr. Jennison, in the un- 
reasonable and unscriptural course he pursued, may be clearly seen. The 
address, which I wrote, but was not permitted to read, is in these words. 

" Beloved brethren, composing the Committee of Inquiry, — The preacher 
in charge on Brookfield circuit, Rev. Isaac Jennison, addressed a letter to 
me, dated Feb. 14, 1828, citing me to appear before a Committee of Inquiry, 
at Henrv Fuller's, in Ludlow, on Friday, the 29th inst. at 2 o'clock, P. M., 
to answer t ) them on six charges, which were specifically stated in said 
letter. Agreeably to the citation, I appear before you, and plead " not 
guilty " 

"Before I attempt to prove the accusations brought against me to be 
totally false, I beg the indulgence of making a few remarks. 

" Since the 20th of August, last past, I have been engaged in travelling 
and preaching in a variety of places, occasionally, however, making short 
visits to my family. My object in so doing was to ascertain whether the 
state of my health, and the management of my temporal concerns, would 
warrant me in devoting my time abroad in the ministerial work. 

'* Experience and observation have taught me that neither my health, nor 
the management of my temporal concerns, would justify me in such a 
course. Hence I frankly declared to those who questioned me on the 
subject, that I had given up the idea of becoming a travelling preacher, 
Antecedent to the time when my conclusion was generally known, the 
tone of feeling manifested towards me by my brethren in this place, ap- 
peared to be much as it had usually been, since the formation of the class ; 
and I declare in the truth and sincerity of my soul, that the thought never 
entered my heart, that ray brethren in this, or any other place, considered 
me to be guilty of a crime or misdemeanor, that tarnished either my moral 
or ministerial character, until the evening of the 15th of Jan., last past. 

"On that evening, entering my room, I observed my wife appeared de- 
ject -i ; I enquired the causa: sh^ replied, in substance, has not Br. Jen- 
nison named what is going on] No, said I, he has mentioned nothing un- 



s 



pleasant to me. Question by -my wife — Did not Br. Jennison appear 
different fr;>;n w tat he used to? Ans. No particular difference that I 
know of. Wei!, said she, they are going to silence you. Silence me! 
for what 1 She replied, I know not ; Francis intimated as much ; Br. 
Jennison has had a long conversation with him in the barn. So then, said 
I, I can now account tor his apparent hurry to get to his appointment ; it 
was to redeem time, to see what he could pump out of the son against the 
father. 

" Not a lisp from preacher, or aggrieved brethren, had as yet met my 
ear ; all was kept as close, and hidden from me, as the contents of the 
silent grave. Early the next morning, I visited Br. Jennison at his house ; 
stated to him, I trust in a meek and becoming spirit, t ! ie object of my visit; 
mentioned what had been intimated to me, and requested him to call upon 
me as soon as convenient, hoping that existing difficulties might be settled 
to the satisfaction of all concerned. Feb. 12, was the day appointed * for 
our interview ; Br. Jennison came according to agreement ; but in a very 
different spirit, and on different ground, from what I expected. I supposed 
the object of the interview was to converse on the difficulties which might 
exist ; to learn who were aggrieved ; to bring them and the accused face 
to face ; and labor for a settlement. But no ; Br. Jennison had determined 
that to trial I should go. He proceeded to state verbally, the complaints 
against me, in relation to my family ; then observed he had other accusa. 
tions against me ; and that they were so numerous, he had committed them 
to writing. After he had read them, I requested him to favor me, in writ- 
ing, with the names of my accusers, and with their accusations. He 
replied, you can remember them ; meaning, as I supposed, the accusations ; 
for he wholly declined giving me the names of my accusations. I entreated 
him to gratify me in my reasonable request ; urged upon him a considera- 
tion of the disadvantage the course he was pursuing, would lay me under, 
in making suitable preparation to defend myself. But all in vain, I must 
be tried by an Ecclesiastical Committee. I now saw plainly that evil was 
determined against me, and that secretly too. Neither tongue nor pen can 
describe the feelings of my wounded heart at that hour. Like the impor- 
tunate widow, however, before the unjust judge, I renewed my request; 
urged it by arguments, which I thought he could not resist. He replied, 
in substance, that he would consult those whom he thought qualified to 
instruct him how he ought to proceed in my case, and would communicate 
the result in a letter. On the 14th inst. Br. Jennison presented roe a 
letter, containing the complaints alleged against me, (but not the names of 
the complainants,) and stating the time and place of trial. I asked hfrri 
why he would not furnish me the names of my accusers; he replied, it is 
not necessary* And until the present moment, I know not who my accu- 
sers are. 

* What passage in the Bible justifies Mr. J. and hisadvisers in the course they pursued 
in my case ? Did the Church of Rome ever exercise a power more despotic — more 
tyrannical ? And yet these, men profess to he meek followers of Christ. 



si It has been hinted that they are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
tehurch. Can it be so? Are my brethren in Christ, by profession, so crnev- 
ed and afflicted on account of my wicked conduct for several months ; >ast, 
that they are reduced to the painful necessity, and feel in conscience bound 
to complain of their wicked Br. M'Lean to the circuit preacher, out of pure 
love to the cause of Methodism in Ludlow^ and to save that cause from dis- 
grace and ruin ? O, had the preacher in charge instructed his erring bretta 
ren, as he was in duty bound to do, concerning the course they ought to 
pursue, when they felt themselves agrieved, he would have pointed them to 
the words of our blessed Saviour, St. Mat. xviii. 15 — 16. "If thy brother 
trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, 
&,c." How much evil might have thus been avoided. And how much good 
might have resulted in consequence of obeying the divine injunction. But, 
unhappily for us, the direction of the Prince of Peace was utterly disregard- 
ed. And permit me to express my fears that the final issue of this unhappy 
difficulty, and the unwarrantable and unscriptural manner in which it has 
been managed, may convince all my opponents, to their sorrow, that obedi- 
ence to the Saviour's direction would have been better, far better, than the 
sacrifice of their victim, now addressing you. 

" I am in duty bound to say, and my conscience bears me witness, that in 
all my experience with the Church of God, an experience embracing a pe- 
rind of thirty six years, I have not known, in one solitary instance, a case of 
difficulty occurring between a minister and a people, conducted in such a 
singular manner as the one now pending. I believe it to be without prece- 
dent in any Christian Protestant Church whatever. It did not once enter 
my heart to suppose that while I was travelling from place to place ; preach- 
ing the gospel of reconciliation ; enjoying the consolations of the divine 
love ; and witnessing to my unspeakable joy, that God did own and bless 
my labors ; — I say, I did not suspect that even then, a deep laid plot was 
concerted to ruin my moral character ; destroy the peace and happiness of 
my family ; and root me out of that Church, of which I have been a mem- 
ber from the eleventh year of my age until the present hour. I am so as- 
tonished and confounded, that I but very imperfectly express the feelings of 
my wounded, bleeding heart. I have said to myself, while reading the ac- 
cusations in the letter of citation, O, falsehood, cruelty, and malice! what 
wouldst thou not do! What a gunpowder plot ! (if I may so express myself;) 
the train laid ; the maiches lighted ; and for what? Why, to blow M'L^an 
out of the Methodist Episcopal Church at a blast. Yea, it appears to me, 
figuratively speaking, all powder and fire, and not one drop of the oil of br oth- 
erly kindness. 

" I have thought that one, or all, of the following reasons, influenced my 
opponents to treat me in this manner 1. Because I felt disposed to con- 
tinue the Minister of the Methodist Legal Society in Ludlow ; or, 2. be- 
cause the liberality of my sentiments led my brethren *o suppose me to a 
Universalist in sentiment; or, 3. because they supposed I wished to make 
fthe Chapel in Ludlow a liberal proprietors' house, and control it as 1 pleased" 



I* 



*'Pear brethren, composing this Committee, T frankly confess I arrrcTiar- 
itaMy disposed towards all the Lord's minist< rs and people, of every naifte 
an., denomination ; and heaven forbid that I should ever be guilty of saving 
t< Christians of other denominations, " stand by, T am more holy than thou.' 7 
If T am persecuted and vilified by my Methodist brethren on this account, 
I will patiently bear it; I will vet move on, sounding the gospel " rani'? 
horn" against the high, broad, separating wall of superstition ; and God 
grant that it may soon "fall down flat." 

" I do say also, I have intimated that it would be agreeable to me, to con- 
tinue the Minister of the Methodist Legal Society in Ludlow, as I have 
been *or eight years last past ; not however, to infringe on the rights and 
pmilecres of the travelling preachers. The privilege I wish to enjoy is no 
greater than that enjoyed by my highly esteemed friend and brother, Rev. 
Joshua Crowell, (president of the committee ;) it is a privilege I always have 
enjoyed, since I became local. 

" It is well known that I have ever contended, that the oeople have aright 
to choose their own religious teachers; and that the Ministers of Christ 
ou^ht to enjoy the privilege of serving that portion of the community, which 
felt disposed to invite them so to do. If it be said my movements have been, 
and still are, anti-metbodistical, not comporting with the discipline, and a 
stop must be put fo such procedure, I ask, are my movements and opinions 
in this respect unreasonable or unscriptural ? I think they are not ; and I 
assure you, whenever I hear the Macedonian cry "come over and help us," 
and I can go, I will do it, and risque the consequences. And if I am to be 
sacrificed for so doing, here I stand, a willing victim. I am well satisfied I 
havf- assigned the true reasons why this wanton and unchristian attack has 
been made on me, to which your attentif n is this day called. 

" Beloved brethre. , composing the Committee of Inquiry, my case is now 
berore you. It greatly afflicts and mortifies me, to think you are called here 
to sit in judgment on your old friend and brother, on a long catalogue of 
charges. Some of t) ese are too silly to name; and men of solid sense 
would neither name or pen them. Others are crimes of a deep d\-, of 
which I would not be guilty for the wealth of both the Indies; they de- 
mand serious consideration. 

(l Th^s prosecution, you will perceive, from the dates in this address, has 
been recently commenced, and driven on with more fury than Jehu drove 
through the land of Israel. To me it was unexpected a few days since, as 
doubtless, it was to you. I am brought where I am by my persecutors ; and 
whether the case has been managed prudently, wisely and scripturally, 
judge ye. I will now pray — May the God of infinite wisdom and grace, 
give you the spirit of discernment and of a sound mind, that you may so de- 
liberate, investigate, and determine, on the case now pending, that the 
heavy cloud now hanging over this part of our Zion may be dispelled, and 
Christian love and good will restored. Amen. Accept, dear brethren, my 
sincere thanks for the indulgence you have granted in permitting me to 
take up so much time in addressing you, on this painful occasion " 



11 



The foregoing address I was not permitted to deliver ; I thought it uo* 
Jjsitid and unreasonable; but was compelled to submit. 

Alter refusing to hear this address, Mr. Jennison proceeded to read the 
accusations agamst me, excepting the first, viz ; "Abuse to your family," &,c. 
Here I wish it to be particularly observed, that I requested Mr. Jennison to 
bring forward all tbe accusations he had against me, if he thought proper; 
bul he declined introducing his first accusation, ihough he had cited me to 
appear, and answer to it. This charge, therelore, to answer to which, as 
well as all others preferred against me, 1 appeared, was passed over; it <iied, 
as all supposed, to live no more. But as it was soon hinted that I had with- 
drawn from the Methodist connexion, or was about so to do, eleven days 
alter my trial and acquittal, I received a second letter of citation from Mr. 
Jennison, containing among others, this identical " charge first," as in his 
first letter of citation. The consideration of this unjust and cruel treat- 
meat is reserved fur its proper place in Part second. 

As I was justly and honorably acquitted on all the charges preferred 
against me on the 29th of February, it may be thought by some, that the 
trial on that day, with its final result, ought to sleep in silence. I am or" a 
different opinion ; because I believe a fair exhibition of the principal charges 
brought against me, an'd the way and manner, in which an attempt was made 
to support them, will convince every impartial reader, that the design of my 
opponents was to break up my connexion with the Methodist Legal Society 
in Ludlow, at all events " Oh, the folly of sinners !" 

Principal charges, 6lc. Charge second. " Falsehood ; for saying you 
was the settled Minister over the Legal Methodist Society in Ludlow, when 
you was not." First witness, Jared Carver, was called and testified. I did 
not dispute the testimony; but said, I stand pledged to prove that I am the 
settled Minister ot the Legal Methodist Society in Ludlow. An attempt 
was then made by Mr. Jennison to prove, that by the reading of the record 
made of my verbal answer to the invitation given me by the Society, to be- 
come the settled Minister, &x., I was not, in fact, the settled Minister of 
the Legal Methodist Society in Ludlow. It was then fully proved, on my 
part, that the mis»ake in question was innocently made by the former socie- 
ty's clerk, Mr. J. Sheldon, and that the mistake was afterward corrected in 
an annual society meeting, Mr. Sheldon heang present, to the satisfaction of 
him and the society, and the record of the same was then read. I then ui- 
-tivduced a number of respectable witnesses, who attended the meeting, in 
which I gave my verbal answer to the invitation above mentioned. Their 
testimony that I din 1 accept the invitation, connected with the record of the 
mistake corrected, so satisfied the minds of the committee, that I was exon« 
erated from the charge of falsehood, unjustly brought against me. 

As 1 wrote a reply to this 2d charge, which I was permitted to. deliver at 
the trial, it may throw more light on the subject, to present it to the reader. 

V Brethren, composing the Committee ot Inquiry, I assert I am the set- 
tled Minister of the Metri idist Legal Socie'y in Ludlow, and stand i fledged 
to prove the fact. I know an ungenerous and dishonorable advantage iiaj? 



12 



been taken in relation to a mistake made by the clerk of the Society, the 
worthy Mr. J. Sheldon, in recording my verbal answer to the invitation the 
Society was pleased to give me, to become rts settled Minister. Here I 
vvnild observe, that a number of gentlemen in this town proposed to me that 
it would be expedient to form a Religious Society in Ludlow, by the name 
of the Methodist Episcopal Society, according to the provisions of the reli- 
gious bill passed A. D. 1811. And that I should, if agreeable, become the 
settled Minister of said Society. Being ignorant of the course we ought to 
pursue, in order to secure parochial rights and privileges according to law, 
I was directed to call on Rev. J. Crowell for instruction, who had been in- 
stalled oyer the Methodist Societies in Brookfield and Belchertown. He 
very politely favored me with information on the subject, and granted me 
the records of said Societies. In our Society movements, We pursued the 
same course, with one exception. The invitation, &,c. to Rev. Mr. Crowell, 
is in the following words. "Voted, that the Rev. J. Crowell, become our 
settled Minister and spiritual teacher, to take the charge of us, and preach 
the Gospel to us; and also to propose to pay him, the said J. Crowell, the 
sum of fifty dollars, in compensation for the services he may render said 
Societies; and in addition to this sum, to support him by subscriptions and 
contributions." 

"This was our form. But on reflection, I thought, should I accept the 
invitation as presented, it would look like stipulating with the people for a 
certain sum, as fifty dollars was named. It occurred to my recollection, 
that I was once called to an account before the Quarterly Meeting Con- 
fer nee, at Ellington, (Square Pond,) Conn, when I was the town's Minister, 
for receiving three hundred dollars per year. And as " the burned child 
dreads the fire," I thought I would 'not have another fiery combat with the 
Methodist for fifty dollars. Beside, it was said by some sensible men, with 
whom I conversed on the subject, that in case I accepted the invitation as 
presented, and the Society neglected to p*y the fifty dollars, I might, if dis- 
posed, sue for, and recover it. Under these considerations, my verbal an- 
swer in Society meeting, in substance, was, that I accepted the invitation 
given me ; but that I would not receive the stipulated sum of fifty dollars. 
I continued to preach regularly to the Society, a part of the time, from year 
to year, not having the least idea that Mr. Sheldon, the clerk, misun ier- 
stood my answer, and in consequence of so doing, recorded it incorrectly. 
Being called on Society business with Mr. Sheldon, we had occasion to ex- 
amine the records ; in doing this, my eye fell on the record in question. I 
was surprised at the blunder he had made, and named it to him ; he said it 
was possibly his mistake, he misunderstanding me, on account of my refus- 
ing the fifty dollars; and that it ought to be rectified. This was d..ue in 
our annual Society meeting, Mr. Sheldon being present, to the satisfaction 
Of him and the Society. 

VT wojuld ask, in the name of common sense, what induced my friends 
and myself to torm a Society, choose Parish Officers and pursue every law- 
ful measure to organize a Religious Society ? It was the hope of enjoying 



13 



the parochial rights and privileges which 1 and my people have enjoyed for 
neari v eight years. What must we think of the person or persons, knowing 
the.se my statements to be facts, who will endeavour to take advantage of a 
mistake, innocently made — a mistake too, which was afterward corrected in 
a legal Society meeting, to the satisfaction of all concerned ? I urge it up- 
on you ; what must we think of characters of such a type ? " O, publish it 
not in Gath ! tell it not in the streets of Askelon !" Professed brethren in 
Christ have done this. And for what? Is not their object as plain to be 
read as the " hand writing on the wall ?" Say, "all ye people." 

" Charge 6. Seeking to destroy and alter the records of the Methodist 
Legal Society in Ludlow." This charge will be now considered, as it is 
intimately connected with the subject just closed. 

The witness, J. Carver, stated, in substance, that I proposed to him to 
purchase a book for the records of the Society, of a more respectable ap~ 
pearance than the one we had ; and suggested that the old book might be 
Used for an account book. Possibly I said so ; though I have no distinct 
recollection of the conversation. But, if I did say these same words, was 
it a proposal to destroy the records ? If I said the old book might be used 
for an account book, was that saying, destroy the records already made? 
No ; but the reverse — preserve that part, and use the remainder of the book 
for another purpose; or let it remain as it is, and let us buy a new and de- 
cent book. Would not a well disposed mind put this construction on what 
Carver said I proposed to him about a book ? Had I proposed to Carver, 
(as Jennison stated, Carver told him, I did,) to burn up and destroy the old 
records, then indeed I should be guilty of charge sixth. Much have I; 
thought of the positive contradiction between Carver and Jennison : how 
they reconcile it between themselves, I know not; but I assure them this 
thing was noticed, and is still remembered. It affords me great consolation 
to reflect that the Committee of Inquiry exonerated me from this foul charge. 

If it be asked why I concerned myself about the Parish bpok at all, I 
answer, Jared Carver was appointed clerk of the Society at our last annua! 
Meeting ; and as he pleaded inability to perform the duties of that office, I 
was appointed to assist him On this account, I was interested in having 
the records, correctly made, not supposing any advantage would be taken of 
my well-meant observations. The conviction on my mind, is irresistible ; 
and I believe it must be so on the mind of every person who reads the ac- 
cusations brought against me A that it was the fixed determination of my op- 
ponents to take every possible advantage of me, and to construe my well- 
meant proposals into the language of evil design ; to make it appear that I 
was actually criminal, by giving a false colouring to what I innocently ex- 
pressed ; and thus accomplish their evil design, viz : my degradation au4 
overthrow. But, thank God, on investigation, the parity of my intentions 
was made to appear as clear as noon-day. 

Another charge brought against me, and to prove which, much exertion 
was made, is as follows: " Charge 5. Injuring, and seeking to injur? 'he 
^lethodist Church in Ludlow A by getting the papers of the Meeting-nouse 



14 



Committee into f<mr hands in an underhanded manner, and refusing to give 
theiii up." The deposition of Z ra Fuller was rea-J to support this charges 
to which I replied in the following words, having my observations written. 

"Brethren, I must request you to pay strict attention to this charge. I 
confess I am pleased to hear it worded as it is. I am confident a fair ex- 
amination will satisfy you that, in this charge, is a wicked, false coloring, 
and a palpable misrepresentation ; that it has been the fixed object and de- 
termination of my opponents to rake and scrape together every little thing 
that had the least shadow of a bearing agaiust me; to work over, systema- 
tize, and dress it up, so that it might have the semblance of actual crime ; 
and in so doing to endeavour to effect the overthrow of the object of their 
hatred. 

{f< Bv getting the papers of the Meeting-house Committee into your 
hands,' " &c. Let it be observed that T am one of that Committee, and 
have uniformly taken the lead in all its operations. When I concluded to 
try the experiment of travelling, fas I have already named,) it was thought 
advisable to commit the subscription papers to the hands of Br. Zera 
F sler; he was instructed to attend faithfully to collecting the money due ; 
but this he never did, for reasons unknown to me. After this arrangement 
was made I was absent some time. Being at home on the day the agree- 
ment to finish the Chanel was made, I declined signing said agreement, on 
the consideration that the first contract ^ v as not yet paid up, (viz. for fin i sh- 
in*? the outside of the house,) nor a sufficient sum raised on the sale of the 
sin -ground, to pay for finishing the inside. Five of the committee were 
present when the agreement for finishing the house was signed; three of 
whom subscribed their names; Br. Carver and myself declined. I was 
soon informed that two of the Committee, who signed the agreement, tireflg 
much displeased with me because I did not sign it; it was hinted that they, 
might possibly take the advantage of me ; collect the subscriptions due on 
the first contract ; and a^ply the money on the second, i. e. for finishing 
the house. I knew, if that course were taken, I should be greatly injured, 
as Mr. BardweJl considered me an agent for building the Chapel ; charged 
all the materials to me, and said he should look to me for payment. I re- 
flected on the course I < ught to take ; and knowing the subscription papers 
were in Br. Z. Fuller's hands, I called on Br. White, one of the committee 
for building the house, a' candid, pious man ; told him what 1 had in view, 
and requested him to go with me to Br. Fuller's, which he did. I addres- 
sed Br. Fuller to this effect : Br. Zera, I shall spend a few days at home, 
and, if agreeable, I will take the subscription papers, and see what I can 
collect. He cordially handed them to me. So now you see the " under- 
handed manner," in which I obtained these papers. 

" Here I would observe, the views of the Committee and subscribers ex- 
tended no further in our fir&t engagement respecting the Chapel, than 
to finish the outside, and lay the lower floor. I was holden to Mr. 
Bard well on that contract. I spent five davs, early aqftd late, in settling w ith 
subscribers, and soliciting help. Twelve dollars 1 obtained, over and above 



Jo 

the subscriptions. T paid Mr. Bard wall, in money and subscribers? notes, 
$189,25. The balance now against mo, on Mr. BardweJl's hook, is $7.:«,67' 
Had I not then, being one of the Committee, a right to the papers ? Yea a 
better right than any other man. I was personally holden to Mr. Bardwelj 
for a considerable sum, and my only security was the sums due on the s in- 
scription papers. In what respect have I done wrong? Elave I not rendered 
a true account of every cent collected, and to whom paid? Have I not 
raised more money, paid more out of my own pocket, spent more time in 
trying to finish the outside of the Chapel in Ludlow, than any other person 
whatever? The inhabitants of this town will, with one voice, bear me 
witness, when I assert that had it not been for my exertions you would have 
had uo Chapel in this place. And Oh, what a reward I am now reaping 
for my labor of love! " Ingratitude is worse than the sin of witchcraft." 
" They have rewarded me evil for good." The Lord in infinite mercy for- 
give my persecutors ! 

And now, gentle reader, I will introduce the last charge entitled to 
notice, which I shall call the " cap sheaf" of the whole; and who can blame 
the reader if he indulge in a little pleasantry in reading the proceedings 
thereupon, especially the manner, in which an attempt was made to support 
it. The charge follows : 

" Charge 3. For favoring the doctrine of the Universal'sts, when among 
that people." 

Much exertion was made to prove this charge. Antecedent to the trial, 
a young man, by the name of Perrin, who is Mr. Jennison's assistant preach- 
er on the circuit, (a young man of public notoriety for two qualities, of which 
he is pre-eminently possessed, viz : astonishing ignorance, and fiery zeal,) 
was deputed to visit different towns and places where I had preached, to 
procure evidence of my heresy. After much travelling, inquiry and disap- 
pointment, he fortunately heard that two young women, living in Stafford, 
(Conn.) or the region lying thereabout, said they heard M'Lean preach a 
Universal sermon, several years since, at the Springfield Manufacturing 
establishment in Ludlow. This joyful intelligence filled the young Saul of 
the Green Mountains With rapture ; he flew to impart the news to the High 
Priest Jennison, who greatly rejoiced in spirit, and with a smile playing on 
his countenance, exhorted his menial to hasten with all speed to the pres- 
ence of the damsels. The young man departed, rode post haste through 
mud and mire, over mountain and valley, to the land afar off, even to the 

laud of , some friendly star guiding him to the place where the 

knowing females dwelt ; he whispered his message in their ears, and found 
favor in their sigh*. Depositions were straightway made out ; and when 
they were opened and read before the Ecclesiastical Committee, lo, the 
reading was after this sort: About five years ago, I heard M'Lean preach 
at Ludlow ; in the first part of his sermon, he extolled the beauty of the 
village, the elegance of the factories, and the neatness of the dwelling houses; 
he then praised the owners, &c. He finally closed by raising his hands up- 
wards and saying "I believe all men will finally be saved; glory to God, Amen, 



Id 



At] this being news to me, not having heard a lisp of any thin.<? of the 
kind before, I at ^rst, thought 1 would let the story of the silly wowi'Mi viss 
unnoticed. But as the Green Mountain lad, [Perrin,] who is much greener 
than the name can express, manifested much zeal to make it appear that 1 
did actually preacli the doctrine of Universal Salvation, I queried with him 
a little; perplexed him ; and to stop his childish prattle, pleasantly observed 
to him, if you think, Sir, that I preach Universalism, pray tell me what vou 
preach ; for I assure you I am told by many, who have heard you, that you 
preach nothing at all. I then just hinted to him what I heard a great man 
say, not long since: Said he, " It is a pity to take a good mechanic, and 
make a miserable preacher of him." Return, return, O, silly youth, to thy 
work-bench, and no longer impose thyself on thy burdened brethren, and a 
disgusted public. Reader, if thou thinkest my remarks too severe and sar- 
castic, read I Kings, 18. 27. 

In regard to the poor, pitiful, silly attempt to prove that I did preach the 
doctrine of the salvation of all men, suffice it to sav, the Committee of In- 
tjuiry gave that charge, with all the others brought against me, to the " moles 
and to the bats." I would have passed over the whole in silence, were it not- 
that misrepresentations and scandalous reports have gone abroad. 

And now I state, fearless of contradiction, after all the parade and tu- 
mult which has been made, not one single accusation has been proved 
against me. They traversed the country round about, in quest of evidence 
against me, but found none. 

It is also my firm belief that the second cruel attack made on me by 
Jennison and his confederates, eight* days after my honorable acquittal^ 
would not have been made, had not my withdrawing from the Method ist 
"connexion so enraged them, that they resolved to rob me of the credit of 
withdrawing with a fair, unspotted character. 

1 appeal to Ministers and Christians of all denominations, whether a case 
^ike this has been often witnessed in the Church of Christ. A powerful 
combination is formed against a Minister of the gospel ; his enemies unite 
their exertions in gathering, from far and near, all he is supposed to have 
done amiss for the last thirty years ; they systematize these things and form 
m written complaint ; cite him to appear before an Ecclesiastical tribunal ; 
he obeys the citation ; stands trial, clothed in innocence and truth ; after a 
'full* investigation, he is honorably acquitted; only eleven days after this ac- 
quittal, one of the charges preferred against him at the first trial, and three 
others are presented him by Mr. Jennison, in a second letter, citing him to 
appear before another Committee of Inquiry, &c. &c. 

I ask you, have you ever known a parallel case in the Church of Christ ? 
And what has induced them thus to injure and abuse me so unkindly? O, it 
is all plain ; " he that runs may read." The man has withdrawn from us, 
with a wreath of honor around his brow ; we will raise a hue and cry ; he 

* Eight days after my acquittal, Jennison and his confederates began their crusade te 
dee what more they could infliience my enerhios to testify against me; arid on the elev- 
enth day after my acquittal, I received my second letter of citation. 



did not withdraw in a proper manner ; he cannot withdraw while under the 
charge of immoral conduct. We will hold him to trial a second time; we 
will have judges who will favor our cause; we will strip the wreath, gained 
at his first trial, from his temples; crown him with the thorns of disgrace; 
throw him out of the church; class him with the vilest of the vile, and 
spread the report over the whole land, this man suffers justly, but we, his 

persecutors, " have done nothing amiss." 

And shall I, a worm of the dust, complain, when my adorable Saviour 

was wrongfully accused and rejected by his own people ; tried, condemned, 

scourged, crowned with thorns, and finally crucified 1 O, blessed Jesus ! 

on thy feet will I drop my falling tears, with thee I will patiently suffer. 

And with my expiring breath, for my enemies will I pray, "Father, forgive 

them, for they know not what they do." 



PART XI* 

THE NEW " INQUISITION" UNMASKED ,* OR REMARKS ON THE 
SECOND ATTEMPT BY MR. JENNISON AND 
OTHERS TO RUIN THE WRITER. 

" When a professed Minister of the sanctuary, by groundless prejudice, 
- by false representations, and by palpable falsehoods, has been made a vic- 
tim to ecclesiastical denunciation, he has still one privilege left ; the privi- 
lege of complaining. A statement of his case, and an appeal to the public, 
is the dernier resort of an injured man ; such an appeal, supported by 
satisfactory evidence of the injury he has suffered, secures a sentence in 
favor of the oppressed; t> disregard that sentence would not be just — 
would not be possible. Notwithstanding the sore persecutions and trials, 
which I have experienced of late, had well nigh hurried me to the grave, 
yet I still survive; and amidst the roar of the heavy artillery of Methodist ec- 
clesiastics, and the evil machinations and railing accusations of false breth- 
ren, I have been sustained by the consciousness of my own innocence, 
and by the blessing of that merciful Being, " who tempers the wind to the 
shorn Iamb," I live to make this effort, through the press, to convince my 
Christian friends and the world, that I have been falsely accused and wick- 
edly persecuted." 

My opponents, I supposed, had grounded their arms to raise them no 
more in hostility against ine : they having had an absolute defeat, in their 
first attack, and the contending parties having, by reciprocal pledges, settled 
a peace ; but in this I was disappointed. The short calm of eight days 
gave my chagrined and mortified enemies opportunity to rally their old 
forces, and to unite with them Methodist volunteer troops from neighbor- 
ing towns; all united, all combined, to crush an unoffending brother, who, 
by a prudent and timely step, had placed himself beyond the reach oi their 



18 



ecclesiastical nance. Indeed, the watch-word of some Methodists was, 
down with M*L' an, ii sufficient force can be raised. 

H^re I would observe, I had fully determined, at the close of my trial, 
(Feb. 29th) to withdraw from the Methodist connexion : I was on the point 
of so doing, when the chairman, the worthy Mr. Crowell, had closed hi6 
address to me, exonerating me from the charges preferred against me ; but 
on second thought concluded, if I should withdraw that evening, my breth. 
ren would charge me with the exercise of a hasty, resentful spirit. On 
serious reflection, I concluded to follow the example of many Methodist 
preachers with whom I was acquainted, and withdraw by declaration in 
presence of the public congregation. This I did, in a prudent and be- 
coming manner, casting no reflection on the denomination I had left. I 
did what I thought I was in duty bound to do ; and to this hour feel an ap- 
proving conscience. I he cruel treatment I have received from several 
travelling preachers; the disposition manifested, and the course pursued, 
by the travelling connexion generally, towards their local brethren, and 
Other evils existing in the connexion, to which the attention of the reader 
will be called, induced me to move as I did. I withdrew from the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, with a fair, unspotted character ; and not, as some 
are industriously publishing abroad, " under the charge of immoral conduct " 
If it be asked why I appeared at the second trial, (so called*) if I had 
withdrawn from the Methodists, I answer, I attended as a citizen, and a 
man, whose moral character was attacked. I did not intend to make a 
defence ; I denied the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical council But it 
was my intention to seek redress in a legal way, in case my moral charac- 
ter was defamed ; I went well prepared, having with me two respectable 
gentlemen, ready scribes, who took minutes of the testimony. And what 
did' the witnesses say? Why, indeed, they said a great many silly things, 
and told some ridiculous tales, which not only excited levity, but brought 
on themselves the contempt they justly merited. Many gentlemen who 
were present, said if such a group of witnesses, (a* they were called,) 
should appear before a civil court, possessing no more knowledge of the 
case on which they were testifying, than these had of the accusations al- 
ledged against me, they would have been spurned from the stand, as char- 
acters insulting the dignity of the court. If the witnesses are to be com- 
mended for any thing, it must be for their remarkable caution; for not a 
man or woman of them became liable to a civil prosecution ; they simply 
stated what they said they had heard. I urged them again and again, when 
they were relating their hearsay stories, to state what they knew, not what 
they said they had heard ; but no one dared to go further than to say, 1 have 
heard so and so. I asked Mr. Jennison,the President, will hearsay evidence 
be admitted ? (This I did, not caring what course he took, but to let the spec- 
tators see the true exercise of despotic power under the cloak of religion.) lie 
ga\e no direct answer ; but said, proceed with your st«ry, witness, &><•• 

*I\ was bo called, but ^.as unworthy of the name. Its general name, in this sectioa 
cff the country, is the Jjutllow farce." 



19 



Reports having been spread abroad respecting the accusations preferred 
again 51 m by Mr. Jennis >u, it may not be amiss to state them to the pub* 
lie, ami .shew the feeble attempt made to support them. 

Organization of the Ecclesiastical Court of Inquiry, at Ludlow, 
Massachusetts, March 27, 1828. 

Present — Rev. Isaac Jennison, the preacher in charge, President ; Rev, 

Messrs. G. Hawley, E. Davis, U. Clough, C. Brewer, S. Henry, Paine, 

Batten, and Scott, Committee; Rev. W. Fisk, Secretary; Rev. 

T Merritt, Rev. J. Perrin, and Abel Bliss, Esq., Assistants; Rev. P. Peck, 
Neuter. 

Meeting opened by prayer, by Rev. T. Merritt. 

After the names of the Committee were read, I rose and requested thai 
the proceedings should be open, that all who felt disposed to hear, might 
have that privilege. Mr. Jennison objected, saying it was not the practice 
of the Methodists to have such trials, as the one then pending, open to all : 
asrain he expressed fears that, in such a case, the Committee wouL* be 
crowded by the spectators, and the business interrupted. I renewed my 
request, and pledged myself that the spectators would observe due decorum. 
After consultation between Jennison, Fisk, and Merritt, it was agreed to 
proceed to business with open doors. (Why? Because it would have beeo. 
impolitic to do otherwise.) 

I then rose and said, I do not acknowledge the jurisdiction of this Com„ 
mittee to try me as a member of the Methodist E. Church, as I have with- 
drawn, and am no longer a member. My object in attending is to learn who 
has commenced this attack upon my moral character : I attend as a man, 
and a citizen, against whom crimes are charged ; and shall defend my char* 
aeter at a future day, in a manner I may deem most proper. I then requested 
all present to notice that I denied the jurisdiction of the Committee, &c. 

Jennison then read the charges against me ; but omitted the impertinent, 
rash, condemnatory introduction, in his letter of citation, Reader you shall 
have it verbatim, and after reading it, then say what reason I had to expect 
a just decision, when the influential president had passed sentence sixteen 
days before the time of trial. It is dated March 11, 1828, and reads as 
follows : " Sir, the more I think and hear, the more I am convinced that 
your general and particular conduct is not as becometh the gospel of Christ, 
even in a private member, much less in a professed Minister of the holy 
Sanctuary. I do therefore feel it my duty to take the course pointed out ia 
the discipline, and call a Committee to examine into your case," &c. My 
reply* follows : 

« Ludlow, March 12, 1828. 
"Rev. Sir, did I consider myself accountable to a Committee of Inquiry, 
appointed by you to examine into my case, as you are pleased to call i ! , I 

* Notwithstanding Mr. Jennison's rash sentence and insulting language, in the abovgi 
letter, yet I thought I would let it pass, and answer him mildly, as you will see. 



20 



would with pleasure obey your citation ; but as I have withdrawn from the 
Methodist connexion, my relation to said connexion having ceased; to you, 
or to them, I consider myself no longer accountable. This seasonable infor- 
mation I giv e you, that you may govern yourself accordingly. God forgive 
my enemies ; I wish them no harm. Yours, &,c. A. M'LEAN." 

Mr. Jennison replied by a line, dated March 12, 1S28, in substance stat- 
ing, :hat he supposed I knew better than to think I could withdraw from the 
M. E. Church while under the charge of immoral conduct ; and renewing 
his citation of the 11th. 

1 replied to this letter at considerable length. A part of my reply being 
embraced in the following pages, an extract only is given in this place. 

" Ludlow, March 18, 1828. 

" Rev. 1. Jennison— Sir, in reply to your letter of the 12th inst. in which 
you state, in answer to my communication, that " you supposed I had been 
too long a member of the M. E. Church, not to know I could not withdraw 
from said Churc'i, while under the charge of immoral conduct," and then 
proceed to state that you si ill consider me a member of said Church, and 
consequently renew your citation of the 1 1th inst. to appear before the Com- 
mittee of inquiry, &,c. &c. I do explicitly state I am not a member of the 
M. E. Church : it was my privilege to withdraw from said Church ; I have 
so done in a prudent manner; not as you state " under the charge of im- 
moral conduct," but completely to the reverse, as will be made fully to 
appear. You, Sir, presented me a letter, dated February 14, 1828, citing 
me to appear before a Committee of Inquiry, at Henry Fuller's, in Ludlow, 
Mass., on Friday, the 29th ult., at 2 o'clock, P. M., to answer to them on 
charges of which I was accused. I appeared before said Committee agreea- 
bly to your citation ; and after a long, patient, thorough, and impartial 
investigation, the Committee of Inquiry unanimously decided that no charge, 
brought against me, was sufficiently proved, so as to convict me of a crime 
that would exclude me from the Church and its holy ministry. A true and 
faithful record has been penned, and carefully preserved, of the doings of the 
Judicious Committee, wh© sat on my case, who have done no less honor to 
themselves by their decision, than justice to him who was wrongfully accused. 
I was acquitted : the understanding was, that existing difficulties were all 
sen led, and I was pathetically exhorted by my ever-esteemed Br. Crowell 
not to triumph over my brethren, because I had gotten my case. Your own 
observations, Sir, in my family, were in accordance with the the above state- 
ment. And you expressed a wish that all that had occurred, of an unpleas- 
ant nature, might be forever buried, ov words implying the same." 

An J now, gentle reader, look at this; the same Mr. Jennison, who knew 
these things to be facts, was heard to say he was dissatisfied with the decis- 
ion ; that difficulties were not settled, and that he should prefer accusations 
against me a second rime. .This he did very soon ; and truly he was indus- 
trious in this work of wickedness, for in eleven days he made out four charges, 
by taking one which he passed over at my trial, Feb. 29, and adding Co that 



21 



three others, as false and as silly as were ever penned or uttered by man. 
AH this will appear by the depositions in the Appendix. 

The farce proceeded. The correspondence between me and Jennison 
was read, excepting my last letter to him. I requested that this also might 
be read. The President replied, it is not necessary. Having the duplicate 
with me, I requested liberty to read it myself, this was denied. I was 
touched to the quick, and could scarcely refrain from tears, while I consid- 
ered that this, ray reasonable request, was denied by a man, who makes 
great professions of his religious enjoyment, and love of equal rights and 
priv ileges. Had I stood before a heathen Agrippa, he would have permitted 
me ro speak for myself ; but the Christian Jennison would not. I was con- 
fident that -on calmly weighing the contents of that letter, the Committee 
would frankly acknowledge that the Methodist connexion had no claims en 
me , that the proceeding? would stop, and we should part in peace and qui- 
etness. But the reading of the letter was not suffered. 

I was now fully satisfied that the intimations of my friends were too true, 
viz ; that numbers had combined against me — determined to pronounce me 
guilty-— expel me from the connexion, and thus destroy my influence as a 
gospel Minister. 

I looked around me, and whom did I see ? Not only the Committee of 
inquiry, but the celebrated Rev. Wilbur Fisk, A. M. Principal of the Wes- 
leyan Academy, Wilbraham : near him sat the Rev. T. Merritt, the great 
polemical battle-axe; and to make the group complete, Abel Bliss, Esq. (!) 
had come to aid and assist in the blessed work of injuring a brother, by 
swearing witnesses and making pleas. I confess I never before heard wit- 
nesses sworn on Methodist Church affairs; no doubt, however, it will pass off 
very well, as the Methodists are becoming very popular; so much so, that I 
think it very probable, if they increase in pride and worldly wisdom for twelve 
years to come, as they have for twelve years past, they will have, among 
them, much more Law than Gospel. When I saw these characters and 
some others, who had no more right to judge in my case, than the Pope of 
Rome, I was confirmed in my belief that a combination was formed to put 
me down at all events. 

Mr. Jennison then read his charges against me, couched in language weli 
calculated to prejudice the minds of the people against the accused. 

Charge I. " Abuse to your family." 

Charge II. " Breach of the Sabbath, by trading, or preparing to trade, in 
sheep, oxen and a horse." 

Charge III. " Fraudulent dealing with divers persons." 

Charge IV. " For preventing a certain witness from testifying to the truth, 
by saying unless said witness could prove the fact, you, 
would prosecute for defamation." 

It will be recollected, that the first charge, is the same to which I was cit- 
ed to answer on the 29th Feb. Twice then have 1 been cueu to answer 



22 

to the same charge : once when I was a Methodist and once since I Wt 
the connexion. O, unprincipled, unprecedented cruelty! This charge was 
once nassed over; it died, as all supposed, to live no more. I said th^n, it 
could not be supported; I say now, after all the exertion made at the i»* 
qnisitorial farce, it has not been supported ; I further say that no p°r<5on 
whatever could be found to enter complaints against me, worded as J^nni- 
son wrote them in his two letters of citation. It is wholly an invention of 
his own ; and a bungling, inexplicit, immodest thing he had made of it. I 
publicly challenge him to procure a person, whose oath would be considered 
valid in law to put his or her name to these complaints, declaring them to 
be true, and that they can be proved true. This challenge T offer in print : 
meet it, Mr. Jennison, if you can. Poor, short-sighted man! With sore 
tnvail and labour, vou have oroduced these charges ; " conceived in sin, 
and brought forth, in iniquity ;" — the fruit of your distempered imagination, 
and the second and third handed-stories of my enemies : to your eyes, I know 
not but they appeared as frightful as the imaginary " raw-head and bloody- 
bones ;" but on close examination, their weakness and falsehood will ap- 
pear, and they will vanish as the dew before the morning sun. 

After Jennison had read his charges, I rose, and again denied the juris- 
diction of the committee ; declared positively that I had withdrawn from 
the Methodist connexion, and that I was not a Methodist Rev. W. Fisk 
questioned the legality of my withdrawing. In reply, I stated, the disci- 
pline gives no direction how a preacher should proceed, in order to with- 
draw from the church; the course to be pursued is wholly optional with the 
preacher withdrawing. He asserted that I had not moved correctly, and 
{' lal it was childish for me to suppose I had withdrawn. I replied that I 
had in truth withdrawn before 1 received the second letter of citation from 
Jennison ; that I had taken precisely the same steps that other Methodist 
preachers had, who had withdrawn from the connexion ; and that I never 
heard it questioned before, that a disaffected preacher might withdraw in 
the way and manner he thought most proper. But all my statements were 
disregarded ; and though I thought I knew what I had done, and what I 
was, as well as any man, yet it was decided that I had not done what I had 
done, and that I was what I was not ; viz. a Methodist.* 

The decision was that I should be holden to trial, for I was a Methodist 
Local Preacher. I remonstrated against the decision ; refused to be tried 
by them; but concluded to tarry; observe what was said and done; ask 
questions, if permitted ; but make no defence. Much have I thought o 
the exertions made to influence me to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the 

*What right had Mr. Fisk, a travelling preacher, to interfere in this matter ? The disci- 
pline directs, Sec. 20, p. 67. ,; When charges are preferred against any local preacher, it 
shall be the duty of the preacher in charge, to call a Committee consisting of three or more 
local preachers, within the station, district, or circuit." At my first trial, the Committee 
consisted of three local preachers, and two travelling ; at the second trial, (so cailed) :ie 
Committee consisted of ei^ht loci) preachers, five travelling, and one Justice ? ie 
Peace : Why the collection of all this for n dible f>rce. contrary to the directj • i ie 
discipline, and the usages of the Methodists • T 13 an ; vsr is in 13 noat 1 v'ai/ enemies;: 
" M'J-iean shall be put down, and xorce eumcient aoau oe egiiected to do it." 



S3 



court : had T done so, I should have lied, not onlv to man, hut to God ; for 
in the presence of both, I had withdrawn from the Methodist connexion ; and. 
to he consistent with myself, I was in duty bound to deny their jurisdiction, 

The witnesses were called and sworn. One of the witnesses, Uriah 
Clough, was likewise one of the Committee of Inquiry. Not expecting my 
objection would avail, but wishing the spectators to see what spirit ruled io 
the Inquisition, I said, " Mr. President, I object to Mr. dough's sitting on 
the case pending, as he cornes forward in the character of an accuser." 
A. Bliss, Esq., rose, and with much excitement said, I never saw such pro- 
ceedings before; Mr. M'Lean objects to a witness sitting on his case, be- 
cause the witness knows the truth in evidence; every criminal would do 
the same ; (a very handsome compliment, truly !) it is a common thing, he 
continued, in civil courts, to call jurors to witness on the very case which 
%key try ; and even the judge himself is sometimes called to leave the bench, 
testify on the stand, return to the bench, and judge on the case, in which 
he was a witness. He closed by saying my remarks were out of order, and 
that I embarrassed the meeting. I ask, what right had Mr. Bliss to inter, 
fer< ? Neither religion nor good manners dictated such interference. But 
perhaps he wished to compliment me with a seat in the criminal's box, and 
likewise make a display of his great legal knowledge ; but he v/as very un- 
fortunate ; for his wisdom, thus displayed, was ignorance, and his declara- 
tions absolutely erroneous. 

Clough, my inveterate enemy, who declared that for thirty years last past, 
he had felt a hardness towards me, and who has exerted all the little influ- 
ence he possesses to do me harm, retained his seat, both as accuser and 
judge. A civil court, on proof that a juror is interested in the case to be 
tried, gives either party right to challenge him off. But as astonishing as 
it may seem, an ecclesiastical court, the members of which make loud pro- 
fessions of their exalted attainments in the sanctifying graces of the Holy 
Spirit, denied to a brother, (for thev claimed me as such,) what a civil court 
would have granted to the meanest citizen. What can I, what can an im- 
partial public conclude, in view of this case? Must we not say, that M Be- 
cause of wickedness, wrong judgment proceedeth V 

The farce proceeded. — Charge 1. " Abuse to your family." This charge 
demands more than ordinary attention, as very extraordinary exertion was 
made to prove it. But intrigue, sophistry, and falsehood, all combined, 
failed to prove the black charge. Now attend closely to its examination. 
Who brings this charge ? My Wife ? No ; such a complaint she never, 
never made. " A good wife is from the Lord ;" such a wife, kind provi- 
dence has bestowed on me ; " to abuse the gift would be a reflection on the 
giver." My conscience bears me witness that I am not guilty of the crime- 
charged upon me by meddlers and busy bodies. When Mrs. M'Lean com- 
plains of ill treatment from her husband, then let them, whose right it is, 
call me to an account. Again, do my children or any persons in mv em- 
ployment, bring this foul charge against me 1 No ; they do not, and never 
did. Let it be well observed that Mrs. M'Lean and all ray children, (one 



£4 



excepted) were memW^rsof the Methodist Church ; Mrs. M'Lean, for about 
thirty year>, rui'i my children about fourteen months. Had I abused them, 
as we were members of the same church, it was their duty to converse with 
me on the subject ; had they done this, and I had refused to give them 
satisfaction, then indeed they might have taken other gospel steps with me. 
Why then ^id they not take this course ? Because they were never abused 
by me ; they never said they were. They never told priest or people that 
I had abused them. Why ? Because they had no reason to make such a 
complaint. This my family unanimously declare. 

There is something so novel, and I presume unprecedented, in this family 
affair, that I cannot deny myself the privilege of giving it a sifting. As I 
beiore observed, when Jennison cited me to trial, I requested him to give 
me the names of my accusers ; this he absolutely refused to do ; who they 
were, I knew not, until the day of trial. When I urged, antecedent to the 
first trial, that the direction of our Lord's, contained in St. Matt, xviii. 15, 16, 
ought to be observed, and asked why the aggrieved did not converse with 
me, " Why," said he, " they are afraid to talk with you : they know you 
are so gifted in conversation, they could do nothing with you." O, folly! 
What an excuse for neglect of obedie ;ce to a plain command of our Sav- 
iour. What an excuse, too, in behalf of his erring brethren, from the lips of 
him who should " teach the people knowledge." God forbid that the care 
of Christ's flock should be committed to the hands of shepherds, who will 
frame such weak and frivolous apologies for those who live in open disobe- 
dience to the divine commands. 

Before my trial, February 29th, I expressed a wish that the accusers and 
accused might be brought face to face, that they might converse together 
and labor for a private settlement ; and stated what I feared the consequences 
would be, should an advantage be taken of me, by arraigning me, forthwith, 
before an Ecclesiastical Committee for trial. But all my endeavors for a 
private settlement were in vain. To public trial I must be brought, abso- 
lutely ignorant of the names of my accusers. 

I never heard a hint, and certainly the thought never entered my mind, 
that r»y wife and children were the complainants, until my hired girl pre- 
sented me a letter from Jennison, directed to her, citing her to appear as a 
witness against me. He closed his letter with a few compassionate sentences 
calling mv family " fiat poor, afflicted family." I asked my wife and chil- 
dren to explain to me, if they could, what these things meant ; and asked 
them, are you my accusers ? They were as much astonished as I was ; and 
with one voice declared they had sot accused me, but thought a plan \va s 
contrived to silence me. 

After my acquittal, as before stated, I asked Mr. Jennison why he did not 
gratify me in my request respecting a private interview with the aggrieved, &c. 
He very graciously replied, " one day I came to your house, intending to 
converse with you and your family respecting your family difficulties; but 
found your sons were absent, and did not introduce the subject." Family- 
difficulties ! said I, I know of none ; we are, I trust, a happy, united family 



25 

1fe ivho'tre parents and children, look at the above recital ; and then say, 
making tin* case your own, how you would view the man, who should meanly 
and wantonly enter your domestic sanctuary as Jennison did mine. Would 
you not consider him akin to the serpent of old, who entered the garden ot 
Eden to destroy the happiness of God's children by sowing discord and Con- 
fusion ? And would not all the sweet and tender ties of nature draw von 
together, and induce you, with one united effort, to spurn from your dwelling 
the envious and malicious disturber of your happiness and family quiet. I 
thought if Jennison had addressed the heads of some families, as he did me 
and my wife, he would have been treated with the good old Quaker's "heave 
offering."* 

Had any members of my family entered complaint against me to Mr. 
Jennison, I would hold my peace, and lie down under the reproach, a& 
under a heavy burden. But it is not so ; my beloved family, all peaceable^ 
all united, are suddenly attacked; every unguarded expression of my chifc 
dren, for fifteen years past, is carefully hunted up ; families and individuals 
are visited ; the grand inquiry is, do you know any thing against M'Lean^ 
Have you heard his wife, children, hired man, or hired maid, say any thing, 
against him ? Ludlow, Springfield, Belchertown, Monson, Stafford, and 
how many more towns, I know not, are scoured to find witnesses againsi 
M'Lean. Attempts are made to set the wife against the husband^ the 
children against the parent, the people against their minister. My heari 
sickens at the recital. And what is all this for ? Some great object is tQ 
be obtained ; some important point to be carried ; time will decide what it is. 

If it be asked who did appear to support the first charge, "Abuse to you* 
family V I answer, three persons ; the first, a poor^ old, superannuated wo- 
man; the second, the leader of the class, a man violently prejudiced against 
me; the third, his natural brother; all members of the Methodist Church. 
And how do they support the charge? In the following manner : the old 
woman begins her story by saying, I know nothing myself about his abuse 
to his family ; but I have heard his wife say so and so. The class-leader^ 
who said, a few days before the trial, (so called,) that he should not attend 
it, as he thought it to be wrong in Jennison to attack me a second time^ 
came forward, and with an air of great sanctity, said, I have lived in the 
neighborhood of Mr. M'Lean ever since he resided in town. All I know 
respecting this charge is what I have heard his family say, <&c, The thir4 
witness testified, in substance, as did the second. 

I rose and objected to each of these witnesses, on the ground that hearsay 
evidence ought not to be admitted, and requested the witnesses to state 
what they knew, not what they said they had heard. I was pointedly re- 
proved for interrupting the witnesses, and they were directed to proceed. 

* An impertinent fellow called upon a good old Quaker in the city of P ; . The 

old gentleman treated him liberally with meat, drink, and a pipe. At length his guest 
became impertinent, which a little excited the feelings of the good old Quaker, who said ? 
'"Friend, I have used thee kindly, by giving thee a meat-offering, a drink-offering, and 
burnt-offering, and with God's help I Will now givQ thee a heave offering,'' and straight 
Way threw him headlong into the street. 



26 

^.fte? they ha^ related their second handed, stories, Jennison, Fisk and 
foferrHl expressed hidch regret that my family were not present. And why, 
pray, were they not present ? The reason assigned by Jennison, in presence 
of several people, was, that they stood in so much fear of me, they dared not 
come. A most absurd statement; for this same Mr, Jennison, I am inform- 
ed, said, previously, that the family would not be called, on account of the 
delicacy of the case. Why then prate of their fear, as the reason of their 
absence ? The only member of my family, ever requested to attend, is my 
lired maid, a very worthy young woman ; she, in conscience, could not 
countenance the proceedings of Jennison and others against me ; she told 
Jennison and Fisk, (who came to my house, a few minutes before the trial,) 
that she had nothing to testify against me , that they might " church her,' r 
if they pleased, but attend she would not. 

Let it be further observed, when regret was expressed at the absence of 
my family, I said, " my family are near, call them if you please, take your 
own course in this respect." They were not called however. And why ? 
Because Jennison well knew it would not answer his purpose to have them 
Called 

Candid reader, please view this subject in its true and proper light lam 
Recused of abusing my family. What proof is offered 1 One old woman, 
an ' two young men say, we have heard the family say so and so; but did 
even these witnesses accuse me of abusing my family, certainly not. The 
family with one voice denies they ever so complained. Jennison hears this, 
end governs himself accordingly, saying, the family will not be called to 
testify, on account of the delicacy of the case. The trial commences ; all 
tbe testimony adduced is hearsay ; the legality of this is disputed ; Jennison 
days, O, the family ought to be here ; the accused says, they are near ; call 
then* if you please ; Jennison replies, they dare not come ; M'Lean has 
threatened Lydia (the hired girl,) with prosecution, if she appears as a wit- 
ness against him ; Lydia denies it, and asserts, Father, (the name by which 
she calls me,) never threatened me, but told me to do as I thought proper 
in this respect.* 

A person with an eye half open, not jaundiced by prejudice, can see 
thnugh the cobweb covering spread by Jennison over this matter. The 
truth is, he very well knew the family would not testify against me, for they 
had no reason so to do. And all the out cry about their absence was only an 
artifice to blind the eyes of the Committee and spectators. A man, profes- 
sing so much piety, who will descend to such mean and petty shifts, to 
screen himself, and injure another, is to be pitied, if not despised. 

If it be asked why I did not take my family with me, and by them prove 
the testimony of the old woman and young men to be false ; — I answer, such 
a course would have been wholly inconsistent, as I had withdrawn from the 
Methodist connexion, denied their right of jurisdiction, and did not appear 
to stand trial. I went for the purpose already named, fully resolved to make 

Thn* v.,,,. - e p charge 4, "Preventing a witness, &c." proved false at once; for th* 
witness denies its truth. 



defence. Had I taken my family as witnesses:, and made my defence., 
b\ so doing, I should have acknowledged the ju risdicti on o*' the Comroint ^ 
and the legality of their proceedings. It was the part of my accusers to 
prove their charges true ; but this, I assert, they failed to do. 

I am aware that it has been, and perhaps still will be inquired, why I was 
so roundly charged with abuse to my family, if no such abuse were evej? 
offered. I have already stated that no person except Mr. Jennison preferred 
such a charge against me. Perhaps he thought the hearsay stories of his 
witnesses would warrant him in penning charge first as he did : But did 
any one enter that complaint against me, worded as he wrote it ? There is 
no evidence of such a fact. What liberties then has this man taken, in 
forming a charge of criminality against an unoffending person, simply 
because he thought certain hearsay stories would justify it. 

Since the trial, or farce, of the 27th March, I have received such informa- 
tion respecting Mr. Jennison's operations against me, that I am fully satisfied 
he has exercised an undue influence over the minds of the few witnesses 
he was able to raise in all Ludlow, to appear against me. I am told he 
justifies himself, in all his iniquitous proceedings, on the ground that his 
motives weie good. Here I cannot deny myself the privilege and treasure 
of quoting a part of Rev. T. Merritt's fourth letter to Rev. Mr. Wilson, it 
being so applicable to my case; though I confess it does appear somewhat, 
inconsistent in Mr. Merritt, to countenance in Mr. Jennison the same things 
which he so pointedly and sharply condemns in Mr. Wilson. This, however, 
is for Mr. Merritt to reconcile, not for me. 

" Your motives, Sir," says he " in this business are not to be questioned, 
nor am I about to call in question the propriety of your preferring charges 
against Mr. Maffitt. But you are too well acquainted with mankind, not to 
know that men, acting under t he influence of the best motives, may be mis- 
taken in the course which the "interest and credit of religion" require should 
be taken. Saul of Tarsus had a good motive "while he did many things 
contrary to the name of Jesus." Many of the Papists, Mr. Calvin, John 
Rogers, Bishop Cranmer, had good motives, no doubt, in persecuting those 
who differed from them ; and it is not to be doubted that every person in 
Prov idence, from the " Committee of five," up to the Minister of the gospel, 
who has either written or spoken against Mr. M. would say they were 
influenced by good motives, and a desire to do God's service. Let us see, Sir, 
whether the general interest and credit of religion as imperiously require 
that Mr. M. should be silenced, as you seem to suppose. If he has brought 
a public scandal upon religion, let him be disgraced. Every man in society 
has his foibles; Mr. M. has his; the errors and foibles of his private life 
have been hunted up, and exposed to public view, and what he has spoken 
in the ear, in the social circle, and by the fireside, has been proclaimed upon 
the house top. If one steps aside in private, it is but a private wound to 
the interests of religion, and perhaps not so much as a wound ; because the 
motive, the temptation, the palliating circumstances, and the character of 
the action were known. Perhaps, too ; the error was soon seen and corrected 



m 

~t>y him who committed it : not only charity, but prudence, and the smallest 
degree of true love for religion, would lead to cover, and keep it from the 
pp ;c eye. He, therefore, who exposes a fault, thus committed, often does 
more to wound religion, than he who commits it. 

I said the faults of Mr. M. have been hunted up; unwearied pains have 
been taken to find accusations against him ; and when any person has been 
fcnov'B or reported to have any thing, that person has been visited again and 
again, and every method used to get him or her to report, to certify, or to 
depose. His errors have been magnified into crimes ; words and actions of 
his have been colored, misrepresented, exaggerated and distorted, till not 
one original feature was to be seen. His accusers have gone into other 
States, over sea, and to the years that are past> to find matter against him, 
and when more was wanted than could be found, it has been fabricated, 
and that in such abundance, that we have ten falsehoods for one fault ; and 
no wonder at this, when Christians have joined affinity with the world, when 
bf lievers and unbelievers were cordially united to seek the destruction of 
the 44 stranger and so great has been the ardour in this pursuit, that Mr. 
Muffin's faults have been introduced into almost every company and circle, 
to the stranger and the man just returned from sea, into the store, the bar- 
ber's shop, and have taken the place of Christian discourse^ and religious 
instruction. These lovers of peace and haters of evil have grieved to see a 
friend of Maffitt remaining ; and where it could be attempted with any hope 
Of success, repeated efforts have been made to turn them against him, by 
Offering to prove that he had said something amiss, or something against 
them, which was construed into a slight of their persons, or their company, 
&<\ &c. And these were Christians ! "O, tell it not in GatK, publish it 
Slot in the streets of Askelon ; lest the, daughters of the Philistines rejoice^ 
lest the uncircumcised triumph.'* 

I thank thee, Br. Merritt, for the. above excellent extract. But I cannot 
thank thee for countenancing, by thy attendance at the Ludlow farce, and 
by thy remarks there and elsewhere, the course pursued by Jennison against 
sne, whhh thou didst so highly disapprove in Rev. Mr. Wilson, in the case 
af Mr, Maffitt. 

I proceed tso. notice the second charge alledged. 

" Breach of the Sabbath, by trading, or preparing to trade, in sheep, oxen„ 
and a horse." The language of this charge presents me to the public in* 
the character of a Sabbath breaker ; a bad character for any man to sustain, 
especially a Minister of the gospel, who ought to teach the people by precept 
and example, "to observe the Lord's Sabbaths and keep them." It may not 
be amiss to notice the phraseology of this charge ; first, it states explicitly 
and positively, " breach of the Sabbath, by trading;" and then, as if this 
tnight perhaps, be too highly seasoned, it is softened down to "preparing to 
trade." Tf the writer had taken one more step in lowering the crime, by 
saying. Z mas Lawrence and the Widow Talmadge guess that Mr. M'Lean 
dm s tibl keep the Sabbath as he might, all perhaps might have evaporated 
iftu empty air • but Mr, jennison h.a.4 written the^ charge, and with ail its 



29 

imperfections on its bead, it was read before the Ecclesiastical Committee, 
and a considerable number of spectators; consequently, some attempt must 
be made to prove it, however feeble. 

The first witness called, was Lydia Talmadge. Her testimony, as taken 
down by my scribes, reads, in substance, as follows ; Mr. M'Lean had been 
down to the river to preach, on a Sabbath, about six or seven years since ; 
on his ret trn, he called on my husband to borrow a pair of phlemes, to bleed 
his oxen ; and when he was going away, he said, you may come to-morrow 
for the sheep, &c. 

I rose, and after stating that the testimony related to a subject of which I 
had no recollection, requested the privilege of questioning the witness, which 
was granted. Quest, How high was the sun, when I called at your house? 
Ans. About one hour high I observed, I thought her memory must be re- 
markably good, to remember the height of the sun when she saw me, seven 
years since. Q,uest. Were you a Methodist at that time? Ans. Yes. 
duest, Why did you not men ion to me, at the time, that you thought I 
did not properly observe the Sabbath, or proceed against me as you now do ? 
Ans. The class was in a broken ^ate at that time. What an excuse ; when 
at that very time there was a class in town, and regular ciicuit preaching. 

I very much doubt my ever calling at her house on a Lord's day t the sun . 
beinii an hour high, for either of the purposes mentioned by the witness. 
Whenever I have preached, on the Sabbath, at the Springfield manufacturing 
establishment, (called by the witness, " the river,") my uniform practice 
has been, to spend the time from the close of the afternoon service to the 
setting of the sun, with some family in the village ; and after that time to 
return home, a distance of about three miles. Mrs. Talmadge was hot re- 
quired to be supported by any other person in her testimony; hers alone 
was offered ; and I verily believe she would not have appeared as a witness 
against me, in the silly manner she did, had she not been influenced by 
others so 10 do. This person is the daughter of Uriah Clough, and lives 
with him. Clough's house is Jennison's stopping place, when in that neigh- 
borhood. Clough has come out, at last, my public accuser and avowed ene- 
my. He has, however, when eating and drinking at my house, worij the 
mask of friendship — that mask he has thrown off, and has appeared with his 
daughter, to testify against me. By all I can learn, I firmly believe the 
poor woman was over-persuaded by her Father and Jennison, to testify 
©gainst me as she did. 

To return to the Father ; this poor old man, bending under the weight of 
many years, came forward to accuse me of something he said I had done 
thirty years since, and on account of which he had felt hard towards me ev- 
er since. He bound himself by an oath to tell the iruth about it, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth. Ho began his story, but soon appeared 
embarrassed, faultered, and was evidently much confused. My eye was 
fixed sharply noon him. G'*od God ! thought I, what is the -nan about to 
alle?-p against me? After •-ofessinjj so much love ami broo£ wMfl at my' Pre- 
side, a lew days since, will be now speak as an enemy 1 Will ne desert me 



m 

in the day of trouMp? He finally altered his course, arH formed a kind of 
apology tor not doing what he had just before solemnly sworn to do, viz. : to 
tell the whole truth, &c. And what was his apology? Why he thought it 
was a matter of such long standing, having occurred about 30 years ago. it 
was not best to relate it. Why did he not think of this before he swore he 
would tell all he knew about it? Are oaths to be trifled with in this manner? 
He was sworn by a Justice of the Peace to do what he did not do. How he 
w ill dispense with the oath of God which was upon him, I know not: it is 
with himself to determine. He finally took his seat, and sat as mute as 
Balaam's AsSj before the Lord opened her mouth. 

CI - : , by his own account, had felt a hardness towards me for 30 years; 
g united with me in acts of religious service, and made no complaint 

l . the 27th of March, 1828, when he came forward to denounce me as a 
criminal. He even uses me worse than his daughter did; for he only inti- 
mates that I had done wrong : what this wrong was, he refuses to tell ; though 
he had solemnly sworn he would tell. We know not, therefore, what the 
crime might be : one thing, however, is certain ; it could not be abuse to my 
family, for I had none 30 years ago. Whether it was Sabbath breaking, 
fraudulent dealing, or whatever else, is wholly left to conjecture. I hope a 
charitable public will be disposed not to rate it in the list of high or capita] 
crimes, as I am not yet hung, or committed to the State Prison. Candid 
reader, just view this case as it is, and then say whether Jennison was not 
much troubled to make and prove accusations against me. 

Another witness, to prove I had broken the Sabbath, was Zenas Law- 
rence, who was indisposed on that dav, and confined to his home. It was 
proposed, that Jennison should relate what Lawrence had told him on the 
Snbject< Jennison said, Lawrence had given him information as follows r 
''About four years since, I went to hear M'Lean preach at Sodom, (so 
called,) after meeting, M'Lean invited me to take tea with him at a Mr. 
Fisk's : after tea, M'Lean and Fisk went a short distance from the house, 
and looked at some cattle ; as I came up, M'Lean turned round and said, 
Mr. Lawrence, what is the difference between that steer, and my ox ? I re. 
plied, I do not know — I do not trade on Sunday. Again, about four years 
ago, I went to the same place to hear M'Lean preach ; after preaching, he 
invited me to take tea with him at a Mr Lewis'*; after tea, Elisha Burr, 
called on M'Lean ; they went out into the yard : were together some time:" 
After this, M'Lean told me he had sold his old mare to Mr. Burr." 

From the above relation, it appears that this conscientious man, who said 
he did not trade on Sunday, would travel between three and four miles; to 
hear a Sabbath breaker preach. And though he often rode with me from 
the place of worship, yet he never hinted to me that he thought I did not 
properly observe the Sabbath. O, bare faced hypocrisy ! Whether the Com. 
mittee credited Jennison, or not, is not for me to say. It was concluded, 
at any rate, to send A. Bliss, Esq. to Lawrence's house, to takr his deposi- 
tion under oath. Tins was done ibrtnwuii: aud lo f when the deposition 



81 



was read, the reading did not correspond with Jennison's relation ; " nei=» 
ther did their Witness aoree together." 

The material difference was this; the deposition read—" Mr. Lawrence, 
what is the difference between that yoke of steers and my lined backed 
ox f 3 ' (I never owned a yoke of lined backed oxen.) Here we learn that 
one steer in Jennison's story, becomes two in that of Lawrence; and the 
on ox. becomes two lined bached oxen. A novel way, indeed, to increase 
stock ! This difference is mentioned simply to shew what a good memory 
Jennison has, when testifying for another person, in his absence. 

Please read depositions marked A and B, in the Appendix, and then say 
what dependence can be placed on the testimony of Lawrence, in this case. 
And O, reader, take warning ; never erect a gallows for Mordecai, lest thou, 
like a wicked Hainan, be hung upon it thyself. 

Charge 3d. " Fraudulent dealing with divers persons." Mrs. Lois Gilli- 
gan, a harmless, inoffensive woman, was called, and related in substance? is 
follows: "About nine years since, Mr. M'Lean and myself, purchased a 
cask of lime of Mrs. J. Lyon. Mr. M'Lean was to divide the lime equally, 
and deliver to me the one half : he was also to draw some sand for me. He 
did not deliver the lime, nor draw the sand, I sent for the lime, and on 
seeing it, thought more than half had been taken out of the cask." I then 
asked her some questions. Question. How much lime did the whole cask 
contain? Answer. About five bushels. Quest. How much had you for 
your part 7 Ans. Something less than two bushels. Quest. Do you know 
precisely how much ? Ans. I dare not say how much. Quest. What mason 
did your work? Ans. Capt. Pease. Quest. Did he tell you how much lime 
remained in the cask, when you received it? Here the impartial President^ 
Mr. Jennison, interfered, and said, " I saw Capt. Pease a short time since 5 
he told me that there was not more than one bushel and a half of the lime." 
This Capt. Pease pointedly denies, both by deposition, (Appendix C t ) and 
by the testimony of Dr. A. J. Miller, a respectable physician, given at the 
time of trial. Dr. Miller stated as follows: "last evening, T saw Capt. 
Pease, and conversed with him respecting the lime in question : he told me 
he had no recollection whatever respecting the quantity Mrs. Gilligan had, 
more or less." How Mr. Jennison will meet the above testimony, and the 
deposition referred to, in the Appendix, I leave him to determine. 

Roxana Gilligan, daughter of the former witness was then called ; she 
testified as did her Mother, with this addition, that Mr. Parsons, the mason, 
who used Mr. M'Lean's part of the lime, said that M'Lean told him, if one 
half of the lime was not sufficient for his work, he might take more. But 
whether he did take more or not, she did not say. 

My reply to this testimony was as follows. Nine years ago, Mrs. Gilligan 
and myself purchased a cask of lime of Mrs. Lyon, to be equally divided by 
my mason, Mr. Parsons, (now in his grave.) Living at a distance from the 
place where my work was done, T gave the management of the whole con- 
cern to Mr. Parsons, an honest man, who, I doubt nut, divided the lime as" 
equally as he could ; my own hands never touched the iiinc. What men ts 



fay crime? Did T defraud lier in the linv ? I bad nothing to do in lis division^ 
except to orrief Mr P arsons to divide it equal 1 v. Did I wrong nftr by not 
d? awing the sand &c. ? She acknowledges she exoeeted to pay rne, if I had 
done it. She obtamed another person to do what I probably could not con- 
veniently do. How then have I injured her? But if I dealt fraudulentlv 
with her nine years ago, why was T never called to account for it before this 
time? My opinion is that Mrs. Gilligan and her daughter would not have 
introduced this frivolous affair as an accusation against me, had they not been 
imposed upon by Jennison, and through his influence, flattered, or driven, 
to do what they would not otherwise have done. For the ground of this 
opinion, see deposition D, in the Appendix. 

E'izur Bates, a Methodist, and I think a class leader, was next called to 
the charge of' fraudulent dealing." After reading this man's >tory, 
it n do not think, reader, that for meanness and malice, it deserves notice, 
you and the vriter widely disagree 

He stated as follows : " In the year 1821 , 1 sold M'Lean a horse for twenty 
do irs in wood, at the market price. On examination, 1 found 

t. be of an inferior quality, and miserably corded; I sent word to 

hi .i, who brought the wood, that I would take no more, unless it 

was rier quality, and corded more closely. M'Lean wrote me a letter 

exprers? 1 n,,;- much surprise that I found fault with the wood, and said it was 
good. He afterwards called at my house to make a settlement ; told me he 
considered the wood to be good ; and that it was as well corded as his chop.* 
pers corded it for him. I told him I thought he ought to make a deduction, 
as the wood was not as good as I expected ; and informed him I was obliged 
to make such deduction to Hancock &, Bates, who had part of the wood, 
lie refused to make me any allowance, and said I might seek redress where 
I could find it. He finally paid me the balance due on the note in money. 
I have felt hard towards him ever since, but we being brethren in the same 
church, thought I would let it pass. 

All the farmers in this section of the country know that they carry no 
article to market, about which there is more disagreement between the 
buyer and seller, than there is about wood, both as to measure and quality. 
For a considerable time, I have supplied several respectable gentlemen in 
Springfield with wood. With such, the man who drives my team has n;;ver 
had any difficulty. Sometimes, however, he is so unfortunate as to deal in 
the article with some little, mean, narrow soul, like my brother Bates, who, 
from his own account, has felt harder towards me for seven years, than the 
hardest stick of wood I sent him. Always with such there is difficulty. I 
supplied several persons in Springfield with wood the same season ; but no 
complaint did I hear from any one, save my brother in the church, and 
doubtless, he would not have complained had he not chosen cash rather than 
wood. I paid him the balance in cash in order to silence his noise ; but in 
this, I miscalculated ; for after the lapse of seven long years, he come- to 
Ludlow, a distance of ten miles from bis home, an d raises a louder cry t<;an 
ever about the wood affair* Here, under the solemnities of an oath, (ior 



S3 

the good man was sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but 
the truth, about the wood,) he rises, and with an air of remarkable gravity, 
in presence of Priests and people, relates his silly tale ; and for what? To 
prove me to be a fraudulent dealer, or in other words, a knave. Is this 
proved ? O, yes, if the lime and wood stories prove it. 

It is recorded of John Calvin, that he directed that the unfortunate Michael 
Servetus should be burned to death with green, moist wood; and I do record 
it of certain Methodists, that they united a lime and wood story, that they 
might burn up and destroy my moral character. But thank God, I came 
out of the fiery furnace, prepared for me, not having the smell of fire on me, 
nor losing one hair of my moral worth. 

And now, gentle reader, I leave you to judge whether my accusers have 
supported their charges against me. You will remember that on my trial- 
February 29, a history of which is given in Part I., I was honorably acquit- 
ted. You will likewise recollect, that at the trial, or farce, March 27, much 
exertion was made to prove charge first, "Abuse to your family (to an- 
swer to which, I have been twice cited, contrary to Law, Gospel, or Reason ;) 
how that charge, with the second and third, (breach of Sabbath, and fraudu- 
lent dealing,) was supported, you have seen. The fourth charge, as you 
have noticed, was proved false by the testimony of the witness said to have 
been prevented from testifying, by me. 

It gives me great consolation to learn, that every impartial person in this 
section of the country, who has a knowledge of the operations against me, be- 
lieves nre to be an injured man. My opinion is, that what was designed for 
evil, God has overruled for good. All that had any bearing against my 
moral character, for the last thirty years of my life, has been carefully hunt- 
ed up. The result has been already seen. Since my second trial, (so 
called,) my friends have multiplied like the drops of the morning. I have 
many invitations in different places, to preach the word of life to the people. 
My congregations are greatly enlarged. And, depending on God's all-suffi- 
cient grace, I hope to be enabled still longer to preach Christ and him cru- 
cified, and with my dying breath to cry, "Behold, behold the Lamb." My 
prayer is — 

"Let names, and sects, and parties fall, 
And Christ, the Lord, be all in all." 

With two or three remarks, I shall close this history of ray persecutions. 

1. Look at the conduct of my accusers and the witnesses against me, one 
and all. They have accused me publicly, but not one of them has taken a 
gospel step with me in this affair. None have "told me my fault, between 
me and them alone ;" none have introduced the case before "two or three 
brethren," or "before the Church none have '"left their gift before the altar, 
and gone to be reconciled to their brother;" none have reproved their neigh- 
bor, that they might not suffer sin upon him." And yet these same men 
profess to believe that the " written word of God is the only sufficient rule, 
both of faith and practice." How far they have departed from that rule in 
my case, I leave it with Christians of all denominations to decide, who may 



read this history. If two false witnesses were found to testify against the 
Saviour of the world, shall I complain? It is written, "If they persecute 
me, they will persecute you also." 

2. Look at the conduct of Jennison, in particular. He ought to have 
known that, as President, his conduct should have been marked by patience, 
candor, and impartiality. But in the judgment of many gentlemen who 
were present, he exercised neither ; but did frequently degrade himself by 
manifesting much excitement, and by assisting his, witnesses in the relation 
of their hearsay stories, and by urging them repeatedly, now tell all you 
know ; relate it as you did to me; certainly you told me so and so. Poor 
man 1 In his zeal to have me condemned at all events, he merited the just 
contempt of many respectable persons present. His conduct brought to my 
mind, what a respectable Methodist preacher said of him : " He may be sin- 
cere at heart, but he[is astonishingly weak in the head." And I will add, he 
is as wilful as he is weak. Do not fiery zeal and ignorance generally meet 
in the same character ? It is almost impossible to convince an ignorant zeal- 
*otof his errors. Jennison was admonished of the consequences of his out- 
rageous conduct ; but to no purpose. 

Some have told me he was resolved I should be silenced. Others inform 
me, Jennison says, he is doing all this for the good of your soul : he views 
you as a haughty person, and says you must be humbled — you must be 
brought down — you have said you were the settled Minister of the Metho- 
dist Legal Society in Ludlow: he says you are legal in time, and will be 
legal in eternity. Astonishing! Mr. Jennison, believe all this and not as 
a Christian brother name it to me, (see directions given to a preacher, Dis. 
p. 34;) but make it a subject of conversation from house to house ! 

And even since I have withdrawn from the Methodists, his envious spirit 
will not let him rest. But in the public congregation, his imprudent and 
railing accusations are heard not only against me, but also against all who 
go to heaT me. Witness his conduct at Wilbraham, North Parish, Baptist 
Society, May 11, 1828. How much credit can be given to his professions 
of Christian love and piety, let the candid judge. 

3. I am of opinion, that Jennison is not alone in this matter. I believe 
it to be only a part of a deep laid plan, to crush the local preachers. Trav- 
elling Preachers may say, " our local brethren must not be countenanced in 
taking charge of Societies, and Congregations, and receiving money for 
Preaching. — This has been M'Lean's practice for many years, and the prac- 
tice must be stopped — it is a bad precedent — others will wish the same 
privilege — this thing must be nipped in the bud, or they will entirely take 
the ground from us." I heard a Methodist Bishop say, "We must watch 
with a jealous eye, and guard with a strong and steady arm, the rights of the 
travelling connexion." If the power of Bishops, the securing of Chapels 
and parsonage houses, by deed, to the Methodist denomination exclusively, 
and the imposing of preachers on the people, contrary to their choice, con- 
nected with the money system they have now in operation, will do it, their 
rights will be secured. I thank God, many in the Methodist Church see 



35 



these things, and witness with grief the increasing power, pride, and thirst 
of money, in many of the travelling preachers. As I have spoken particu- 
larly of the money system, &c. in Part IV. it is unnecessary to enlarge in 
this place. Let the local preachers beware, lest they soon feel the perse- 
cuting rod, which has been laid so heavily on me. 

4. An apology is due to the public, for laying before them, all the ridicu- 
lous proceedings of Jennison and others, in the foregoing pages. I have 
written this history, not because I considered all the foolish stories related 
by the witnesses to be worthy of so much attention, in themselves considered, 
but because it was my wish to open the eyes of those who may yet be ig- 
norant of the power possessed by travelling preachers, and the mean and 
contemptible measures some of them will adopt, to carry a favorite point. 
After reading the foregoing narrative, let the reader determine whether 
Jennison has not outraged the spirit of Christianity, and even common de- 
cency. When the public reflect how much consequence has been attached 
to this mock trial, by Jennison and bis confedeiates, and how industriously 
they are reporting that I was proved guilty, silenced, and am completely 
disgraced, I trust it will be deemed excusable in me to have presented a 
narrative of the proceedings, a description of the testimony, weak and sim- 
ple as it was, by which they say I was convicted of crime ; also to have laid 
before the public some account of the measures adopted by Jennison ta 
procure the attendance of witnesses. See Appendix D, and E. 

With a hope that it may prove beneficial to the public, by putting them 
on their guard against the tyrannical encroachments, and despotic power of 
the Methodist travelling connexion, the foregoing is respectfully submitted. 



APPENDIX. 



A. I, Elias Fisk, of Wilbraham, Hampden County, and State of Massachusetts, of 
lawful age, do depose, and on my oath say, that the Rev. Alexander M'Lean never did 
exchange an ox with me for a steer, or a yoke of lined backed oxen for a yoke of steers, 
on the Lord's day ; and that he, the said M'Lean, never did propose to trade with me in 
cattle, stock, or any kind of property whatever, on the Sabbath. And further the depo- 
nent saith not. ELIAS FISK. 

Hampden County ss : Mass. 

Personally appeared the above named Elias Fisk, who hath written and subscribed the 
foregoing deposition, and made solemn oath that the same contains the truth, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth. Before me, 

JONATHAN SHEARER, Justice of the Peace. 

B. I, Elisha Burr, of Wilbraham, Hampden County, and State of Massachusetts, of 
lawful age depose, and on my oath say, that the Rev. Alexander M'Lean never did sell, 
or offer to sell me a Mare on the Lord's day ; that he never did on said day, sell, or pre- 
pare to sell me a horse, stock, or any property whatever, ELISHA BURR. 

Hampden County ss : Mass. 

Personally appeared the above named Elisha Burr, who hath written and subscribed 
the foregoing deposition, and made solemn oath that the same contains the truth, the 
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Before me, 

JONATHAN SHEARER, Justice of the Peace' 



36 



C. I, Levi Pease, of Ludlow, in the County of Harnpden, and Commonwealth o/ 
Massachusetts, of lawful age, depose, and on my oath say, that in the case concerning a 
cask of lime, bought of the Widow Jerusha Lyon, by Alexander M'Lean, and Widow 
Lois Gilligan, and which was to be equally divided between them, and which made ono 
of the charges preferred against the said M'Lean in the trial of hira on the 27th day of 
March, 1828, and wherein it was there stated by Isaac Jennison, at the time of trial, that 
I had positively stated to him, the said Jennison, that there was not more than about one 
and a half bushels lime remaining in the cask,and that consequently there must be a defi- 
ciency of one or more bushels, 

Now, therefore, I, the said Pease, do assert on my oath, that in the conversation had 
between me and the said Jennison, respecting the aforesaid lime, / never so said; and 
told him I had no recollection of the quantity, whatever, more or less. And further the 
deponent saith not. LEVI PEASE. 

Hampden ss : May 3, 1828. 

Personally appeared the above named Levi Pease, who hath written and subscribed 
the foregoing deposition, and made solemn oath that the same contains the truth, the 
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Before me, 

NATHANIEL CHAPIN, Justice of the Peace. 

D. 1, Lois Gilligan, and Roxana Gilligan, both of Ludlow, in the County of 
Hampden, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of lawful age, on our oaths depose and 
say, that the Rev. Isaac Jennison requested us to appear as witnesses against the Rev. 
Alexander M'Lean, at his trial, (so called,) on the 27th day of March, last past, respecting 
the division of a cask of lime., nine years since; that we the deponents, on our solemn 
oaths, testify and say, that we told the said Isaac Jennison we were unwilling to attend as 
witnesses against the said M'Lean ; that the circumstances respecting the division of the 
lime had gone from our minds;* the said Jennison then stated that it was our duty to 
attend and witness in the case : and had we not been strongly urged, and over-persuaded 
by the said Jennison, to attend the trial, (so called.) we should not so have done. And 
further the deponents say not. LOIS GILLIGAN, and ROXANA GILLIGAN. 

Hampden ss : May 19, 1828. 

Then, Lois and Roxana Gilligan, personally appearing, made solemn oath that the 
foregoing instrument, by them subscribed, is true. Before me, 

NATHANIEL CHAPIN, Justice of the Peace. 

E. I, Ira Barber, of Ludlow, in the County of Hampden, and Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts, of lawful age, on my oath depose and say, that I was urged by Isaac 
Jennison to attend the trial, (so called.) of Alexander M'Lean, at Ludlow, on the 27th 
day of March last, against my will; (the object of it was, that I should witness against 
him;) that I declined attending said trial, but was told by the said Jennison, if I refused,, 
he should compel me to attend ; that about two days prior to the trial, (so called,) the 
said Jennison called on me again, with a summons, which he read in my presence, stating 
that the summons was legal ; by virtue of which I considered myself obligated to attend. 

IRA BARBER. 

Hampden ss : May 19, 1828. 

Then Ira Barber, personally appearing, made solemn oath that the foregoing instru- 
ment by him subscribed, is true. Before me, 

NATHANIEL CHAPIN, Justice of the Peace. 

The only object I have in introducing the last deposition, is to show the advantage 
which Mr. Jennison took of Mr. Barber, by making him believe he had in his hands a 
legal summons, when in truth he had not : this must be considered the fact, since the 
laws of this Commonwealth do not authorize the use of legal process to compel the at- 
tendance of witnesses in Ecclesiastical trials. 

This witness was introduced by Jennison to prove the charge of" fraudulent dealing:" 
his testimony is not introduced in the body of this work, inasmuch as Mr. Barber stated 
explicitly to the Committee, that in the settlement between him and me, I paidhim to his 
full satisfaction for all the property I had ever received from him. Instead therefore of 
proving " fraudulent dealing" in me, this testimony, so faras it went, fully established 
my honesty. 



* Why did Jennison introduce these witnesses, after they had honestly 
fcpld him they had forgotten these circumstances. 



3T 

PART 111- 



TO THE LOCAL MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE METHODIST 
EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN AMERICA. 

I consider it my duty to offer a few remarks for your consideration, re- 
questing you to examine them seriously and candidly. I do this, not in the 
spirit of retaliation, — not wishing to wound, or in any way grieve, the dear 
children of God in your communion, — but to rouse you up to a sense of the 
evils which exist among you. 

It is well known by many official and private members of your church, 
that for several years I have been dissatisfied with the government', and 
some parts of the discipline of said church ; and that I would not submit 
to the exercise of that government over me, and the application of that part 
of the discipline which I considered to be unscripturaf and unreasonable. 
In consequence of this, I have experienced much trouble, and found it al- 
most impossible to remain pleasantly in the connexion. But under all my 
afflictions, and through all my trials, the Lord has been my* stay and staff j 
and in that Almighty power and all-sufficient grace which has hitherto been 
my support and consolation, I still confide, firmly believing that God will 
overrule all for his glory, the good of my soul, and the advancement of the 
cause of truth. 

Since I left the travelling connexion and became local, I have had much 
conversation with several liberal minded preachers, official characters, and 
private members of the Methodist denomination, whose views corresponded; 
with mine respecting the government and discipline of said church. I have 
no doubt that thousands of the Methodist persuasion in America, sincerely 
desire, and ardently pray, that a change may be speedily made in the mode 
of government, and in many parts of the discipline of the church to which 
they belong. Much exertion has been made by the local connexion to 
effect the change so much desired. I regret that all their laudable exer- 
tions have hitherto been in vain. The General Conference has been me-, 
morialized and memorialized without effect. I am informed that the locat 
preachers, in different parts of the Union, are this year renewing their 
efforts to obtain a redress of grievances. I hope their exertions will be 
crowned with success ; though I confess I have but little ground for hope, 
considering the tone of feeling manifested by the great body of the travels 
ling preachers. When I consider who are the members of the Genera! 
Conference, what hope can I have in the case in question ? That Confer- 
ence consists of five bishops, and one member for every seven members of 
each Annual Conference. A majority of these members are presiding 
elders ; and all are travelling preachers. Their discipline (page 21, Sec- 
tion 3,) reads — " They shall not change or alter any part or rule of our 
government so as to do away Episcopacy." There is no lay or local repre- 
sentation in the Conference. The petitioners for a redress of grievances 



38 



are not permitted to send one of their own body to present and advocate 
their petition before the Conference; as a local preacher cannot have a 
seat in that Conference. The consequence is, the petition must be placed 
in the care of a member of the General Conference. 

If that body will condescend to permit the reading of the petition, (I am 
informed in some instances they do not,) and the petition contain any thing 
that looks like an infringement on Episcopal power and privileges and 
emoluments, how can they grant the prayer of the petition? But this it 
must contain, if it mean any thing ; for the power is the thing complained 
of, and local representation is the thing requested. How, I ask, can the 
General Conference grant such a petition, when, as I understand, by Sect. 
3 of the Dis., they have bound themselves not to change or alter any part 
or rule of government, so as to do away Episcopacy, either in whole or in 
part ! I say either in whole or in part ; because to do it away in part would 
be a step towards doing it away wholly. The reasoning would be, if it be 
partly wrong, it may be wholly wrong. This is not conceded by the Gene- 
ral Conference. They contend that their Episcopal form of government 
is right ; and viewing it to be so, they have bound themselves never to do 
it away. Those who contend lor a lay and local representation, say it is 
wrong, and ought not to be. Hence they have long petitioned, and still 
petition, for a redress of grievances. Hitherto nothing has been gained ; 
all their exertions have been fruitless. 

Think it not strange, then, ye valuable and excellent, though oppressed 
men, if your petitions are thrown under the table ; or if read as a matter of 
compliment, yet read with cold indifference; neither be astonished, should 
you either receive no answer to your petition, or should it be said to you, 
" your request cannot be granted; for should we give you an inch, you 
may be disposed to take an ell." Will ye tamely submit to these things, 
and toil four years longer in the yoke of bondage, vainly hoping that at 
the next session of the General Conference, the fit time to favor your cause 
will come %* 

Should it be asked, what can local preachers do 1 I answer — love God 
with all the heart ; exercise unwearying faith in the promise of the adorable 
Jesus, who said to his first ministers, " Lo, I am with you alway, even to 
the end of the world." Leaning on that all-sufficient promise, that rrever 
failing prop, arise, arise, and go forward, lifting to your mouth the gospel 
trump, giving it the certain sound — "The year of jubilee is come, return, 
ye ransomed sinners, home." As the standard bearers of the Lord, move 
onward, raising high the standard of the Cross, all stained with hallowed 
blood. Let Jesus and his matchless love be the Alpha and Omega of every 
sermon you deliver. Then the listening thousands you address, cut to the 
centre of the soul by the diamond of his love, will fly to embrace and kiss 
the Son, lest he be angry." O, what a Gospel this ! what a theme for mortal 

* There is a wrong somewhere, or why all this long, loud, and deep complaining? 
"Why are so many preachers leaving the connexion ? Why are new sects starting tip out 
of your own body ? such as the Reformed Methodists, the Stillwellites, &c. &c. 



39 



man to dwell upon---Christ and his salvation ! Here, brethren, and here 
only, can we find the balm for every wound, the cordial for every fear. I have 
been sorely wounded in the house of my friends ; but thanks to the great 
Physician, he has applied to my bleeding heart the balm of Gilead. "When 
men rose up against me, fears came upon me, that I should be swallowed 
up quick." But the cordial was imparted ; my fainting soul revived ; my 
fears were driven away ; my joys returned with rich increase, like Jordan's 
swelling flood. Now I stand on the rock of ages ; while all the fury, rage , 
and storm of my enemies only burst and break like harmless thunders be" 
neath my feet. 

If it be still asked, what shall local preachers do in relation to accepting 
invitations to preach where the travelling preachers have regular appoint- 
ments and societies 1 I fearlessly answer, go and preach. The people invite, 
because they want you ; because they believe your labors of love will prove 
a blessing to them. The right is theirs to invite you ; and your duty is to 
go where the providence of God opens a door for you. Who has a right to 
interfere 1 Is it the travelling preacher ? No. What right has he to deprive 
you and the people of a privilege you wish mutually to enjoy 1 This is an 
inconsistent and absurd thing in itself. However much so it may be, yet it 
is a lamentable fact, that too many itinerant preachers forbid, both by words 
and actions, their local brethren to preach to, or receive compensation from 
societies and congregations which they pretend to claim ; yet, these same 
men have derided, in conversation, preaching and print, the objections raised 
by regularly settled Ministers of other denominations, against their going 
over parish lines, to preach, raise societies, and draw away hearers. The 
arguments of the regularly settled clergy, however inconsistent they may 
appear to some, are consistency itself, in my opinion, compared with the 
objections raised by Methodist travelling preachers against their local breth- 
ren as above stated. For the latter belong to the same church ; believe and 
preach the same doctrines; and administer the ordinances in perfect Uni- 
formity. The former widely disagree in their views of doctrine, and in 
nearly all the rites and ceremonies of the church. It is not strange that an 
Episcopalian, a Congregationalist, or a Baptist should be unwilling that men, 
whose theological views stand opposed to their own, should enter into their 
labors, and make divisions among their people. But for a travelling preacher 
to oppose his local brother's preaching to a Methodist Society, (who desire 
and request him so to do,) and receiving what they are willing to give him, 
is surprisingly inconsistent. 

But what is the true course of this opposition on the part of the travelling 
preachers? I answer plainly, it is their fixed determination to have all the 
loaves and fishes. They do not so much dislike that their local brethren 
should preach, as that they should be paid for it. Could they monopolize 
all the profit, they would never be heard to complain that their local breth- 
ren assisted them in their labors. 

Generally speaking, local preachers are in moderate circumstances, as to 
property ; they are obliged to labor with their hands a considerable part of 



40 



\heii time; they are frequently called to attend funerals, visit the sick> 
preach lectures, &c. which occupies much time : add to this, their houses 
are generally the stopping places, or public inns, for the travelling preachers, 
as they go round the circuit ; it is also expected of them to subscribe and 
contribute liberally for the support of the travelling preachers, as a good ex- 
ample, to encourage others so to do. Is it just, oraccording to Scripture, 
that these men, whose time and property'are thus taxed, should ride on Sat- 
urday, ten, fifteen, or twenty miles, preach two or three sermons on the 
Sabbath, and then return home without compensation ? No; it is not just ; 
"the laborer is worthy of his hire;" "thou shalt not muzzle the ox that 
treadeth out the corn." A liberal people does not approve it. 

Why then this order of things ? Are you fearful of a clash with the trav- 
elling preachers ? Fear it no longer. You have been trammelled, brow- 
beaten, and trodden under foot by them too long already. Assert your 
rights, and maintain them firmly. Where is there a body of Ministers on 
the globe, so respectable in numbers and talents, as the Methodist Local 
Preachers, who are so completely devoid of every Ministerial right and 
privilegej as they ? I know of none. Many of them are men of the first 
talents and respectability ; have had the experience of many years; under- 
stand the nature and fitness of things ; are well read in the holy Scriptures ■ 
" are Scribes well instructed into the mysteries of the Kingdom ;" are ex- 
perimental men, deeply devoted to the service of God ; a divine unction at- 
tends their ministrations ; " they have souls for their hire ;" the Great Head 
of the Church owns and blesses them ; and thousands, who hear them; say; 
God is with them, of a truth. But what are these men in the Church to 
which they belong? Though ordained Elders in the Church, yet they find 
Elder to be an empty name. The stripling of twenty one, who travels the 
circuit, having received his authority from the Bishop ; places the venerable 
divine of sixty at his feet. Even the class leader is his superior in the man- 
agement of Church affairs. And is this right? Is this as it should be? Far 
from it : it is absolutely and radically wrong and inconsistent ; it is irration- 
al and unscriptural. 

If the official parity of all Christ's ambassadors can be proved from Scrip- 
ture, (and who dare dispute it?) from whence is this power derived to ele- 
vate an itinerantj who belongs to the Conference,* to the care and govern- 
ment of any part of Christ's flock, to authorize him to receive a compensa- 
tion for his services from the people of his charge, to the exclusion of the 
local Elder, who may be the choice of the same people, — and to degrade the 
local Elder below the leader of a class, and deprive him of that support, 
which the people, upon whom the Bishop imposes a preacher, were dispos- 
ed to give him ? This power is exercised in the Methodist connexion ; a 
sore evil it is, and ought to be remedied. A disposition is manifested by 
the travelling preachers, to keep their local brethren down : the fact is too 
notorious to admit of denial. If proof be required, we have only to inquire 
why there is so much contention between certain eminent local preachers 
and their travelling brethren, in almost every part of the country. Fo*in- 



41 



Stance, the people say, we wish to employ the Rev. N. O., to preach to us ; 
the circuit preacher objects, and says, we claim the Church, Congregation, 
Chapel, and money; clear out, Mr. N. O., you are in our places, you are 
on our ground ; away with you : if you refuse to submit, I will complain to 
{he presiding Elder. Thus it goes, not only in the town of M., but in the 
town of L., where the writer lives, and in many towns besides, through the 
whole country. If more proof be required, look at this. It is rumored that 
a certain presiding Elder, then on a district not fifty miles from Ludlow* 
thought it not advisable to invite local preachers topreach at a certain Camp 
Meeting, at which he presided. The worthy and pious D. B., a very res^ 
pectable and gifted local preacher, a man too, who had been highly promo- 
ted in State, attended the meeting and was not invited to preach on the 
stand. My own eyes are my witness, when I have attended Camp Meetings* 
that the local preachers have been treated with cold indifference. I have 
noticed, however, that they will answer for a guard by night, and for hewers 
of wood and drawers of water by day. Poor men 1 They have a heavy- 
burden to bear. But if they will tamely submit to all this spirit of domi- 
neering, if they will patiently suffer themselves to be trodden under foot, by 
those who are no better than they; I ought not to complain. 

Again, I have known many instances in which local preachers have gone 3 
into destitute places, gathered congregations, and been instrumental in pro- 
ducing reformations. And I have known travelling preachers to follow them 
to such places, form classes* add those places to their circuits, and turn their 
local brethren out of their labors. In a word, a Methodist local preacher is 
a mere cypher in the connexion. 

Before I take my leave of you, who were once my brethren and dearly 
beloved, and from whom I have withdrawn, not in heart and affection* but 
only in name and visible profession, permit me to add a few more words of 
advice. Attend punctually and unanimously your Annual Conference.— 
This is the only meeting with which you are favored, according ito Disci- 
pline, to bring your body and energies together. I know you have a presi- 
ding Elder to preside over you in that Conference, and watch your Opera- 
tions. This is policy ; but a wrong and oppressive policy. One of your 
own body ought to preside. Will the Annual Conference Of the travelling 
preachers permit a local preacher, however great and good he may be, id 
preside in their Conference ? No, this is wholly out of the question ; he is 
not suffered even to attend as a private member. Why then should a trav^ 
felling presiding Elder preside in yours 1 In propriety he ought not so to- 
do. One of your own body ought to perform that service ; yet this cannot 
be made the present order of things; Prudence will dictate present sub- 
mission ; yet I entreat you, fearlessly and prudently to express your views* 
state your grievances, and with unabating zeal, fortitude, perseverance, and 
patience, pursue every wise and prudent measure to have them redressed; 

The local preachers' Annual Conference is much opposed by many of the 
most influential travelling preachers ; they call it a useless unnecessary thing. 
And why, pray, do they oppose it? Ah, they fear that something may grow 

6 



42 



out of it, detrimental to the travelling connexion. I confess I once thought 
that no good would grow out of it to the local connexion. But I now think, 
(not that I have any personal interest in it, not being a member,) much 
good may be produced by it, if its meetings are well attended and properly 
managed. 

Suffer me to urge you once and again, " Preach the word, be instant in 
season and out Of season." In the Words of your Discipline I would say, go 
not only to them that want you, but to them that want you most. Many 
doors are opening for Methodist local preachers, who are men of piety and 
talents. The people are determined to have a voice in the election of their 
religious teachers. Accept their invitations, haste away and preach to them 
that Gospel which is able to save their souls. Arrange your appointments 
in circuit order. If your travelling brethren refuse to exchange with you, 
and share with you what the people are willing to bestow, exchange with 
one another, and move on in the order of God. Preach the word of life to 
all who are willing to hear ; and receive what the people are willing to give; 
whether the liberal giver may be a Congregationalist, Baptist, Methodist, or 
aught else ; receive it thankfully and risque the consequences. But be sure 
to preach Christ, and him crucified ; " not the traditions and commandments 
of men." Waste not precious time in calling committees together, to 
devise ways and means to raise money. Never draft a subscription paper, 
and then circulate it, to raise money to pay yourself for preaching ; this is 
not your business ; leave it wholly with the people. Only influence your 
hearers to open their hearts to receive the truth in the love of it, and the 
Lord Jesus will open their hands to support you. 

Remember how the primitive Methodist preachers passed through this 
land ; a I. Lee, a Roberts, a Hope, Hull, and many others, whose names are 
dear to thousands. They flew as did the Angel mentioned in the Revela- 
tion, " having the everlasting Gospel to preach." And in truth they did 
preach it, with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven, and many were 
turned to the Lord. Follow them as they followed Christ ; preach the 
Gospel as they preached it, in the love of it ; bear the good old stamp. Go 
on, my dear local brethren, if I may be permitted to call you so; go on in 
all the pleasant paths of religion. " Go forth weeping, bearing precious 
seed, and doubtless, ere long, you will return, bringing your sheaves with 
you." Let us rejoice in prospect of that day of bright glory, when those 
who " turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever." 

if, in the foregoing and following pages, you discover some pointed, se- 
vere remarks, please remember the nature of the subject is of such a type, 
that such remarks were unavoidable. My provocation has been great. As 
to the evils, which, in my view, exist in the Methodist Church, I have to 
say, a desperate disease requires a desperate remedy. It is left, however, 
with a candid and enlightened public to decide, whether, on a careful ex- 
amination of the treatment I and my beloved family have received, as re- 
corded in the preceding pages, and the errors which evidently exist in the 
government and discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church,— I have not 



43 

been as miid and prudent in my mode of expression, as the nature of the 
subject would allow. 

And now, my dear brethren in the kingdom and patience of Jesus, I bid 
you an affectionate farewell, humbly hoping and sincerely praying that 

" Our troubles and our trials hero 
Will only make us richer there, 
When we arrive at home." 

Remember your afflicted, persecuted, wrongfully-accused, and unjustly- 
condemned brother, 

ALEXANDER M'LEAN. 

Ludlow, May, 1828. 



f ART IV. 

REMARKS ON THE GOVERNMENT, &C. ; DISCIPLINE OF THE 
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ; THEIR 
MONIED SYSTEM, &C. 

In the words of a learned author, '* When a system of Religion is urged 
upon us as being apostolical and divine, and insinuating that we, being des- 
titute of its peculiarities, have essentially departed from the word of God, 
the propagators of such a system ought to expect that the merits of their 
scheme will be examined. We must in such a case, * search the Scrip- 
tures,' and search for the peculiarities of the scheme urged upon us. Truth 
and righteousness will never be injured by investigation." Proceeding on 
this principle, I solicit of those, who were formerly my brethren by visible 
profession, a candid, devout, and impartial attention to a brief statement of 
some things in the Methodist Episcopal system, which I consider are not 
supported by a "thus saith the Lord;" evils, growing with the growth, and 
strengthening with the strength ot that denomination. 

If the Scriptures do not countenance, but rather forbid the sentiment, 
that the succession of the Gospel Ministry shall consist of men in differ? 
ent grades of office, why have the Methodists in the United States intro- 
duced into their Church these different grades? The Great Head of the true 
jChurch presented this commission of the Gospel Ministry to his disciples. 
St. Mat. xxviii. 18—20: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and ot the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you. And lo ! I am with you alway, even to the end of 
,the world. Amen." 

" From this passage, it is evident, that Christ instituted but one order of 
Gospel Ministers in his Church ; their vocation was the same — to preach 



44 



and baptize. He, in the exercise of all power, first instituted the GospeJ 
Ministry in this manner, and ascended to Glory." 

Surely, it cannot be from this fact, that Methodist Episcopalians assert 
that " it is evident there are three orders of Ministers in Christ's Church ; 
Bishops, Elders, and preaching Deacons." Had Christ designed these dif- 
ferent orders should exist, why did he not institute them 1 Or why did he 
not so form the commission he gave his ambassadors, that it would imply, or 
at least admit, these different official orders ? Instead of so doing, he com- 
missioned his first ambassadors with powers precisely co-ordinate, or with a, 
perfect equality of official power. In view of this equality, he said to them, 
" Be ye not called Rabbi : for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye 
are brethren." Hence it fully appears, that our Lord designed that all his 
Ministers, as to their commission and office, should be on a perfect level 
under him, their one and only High Priest in heaven. May we not safely 
look to the first institution of the Gospel Ministry, to learn the order which 
we should follow ? Who can exhibit better authority ? 

"The Apostles had their different gifts, and different degrees of useful- 
ness ; but these constituted no official grade of difference, either between 
the different Apostles, or between the Apostles and their coadjutors and 
successors, whom they ordained." All officiated under one and the same 
commission; and this commission, and the promise, "lo! I am with you 
alway," fully shew that the Apostles, and all the true Ministers of Christ, to 
the end of the world, are, officially, one and the same. This deduction is 
unavoidable. It cannot, therefore, be admitted that the ambassadors of 
Christ were originally divided into different grades of office. 

If present Elders and Pastors of Churches, can claim the promise of 
Christ, "lol I am with you alway," they can only do it, by finding them- 
selves to belong to the very order of men, who first received this promise. 
If they belong not to this order, the promise is not applicable to them. 

But let us examine this commission more closely. Dr. Bowden, a great 
advocate for Episcopacy, says, " The Church of Christ cannot exist without 
this, (meaning different orders of Ministers.) You ascribe to your Presby- 
tery, (common Ministers,) the whole authority implied in the Apostolic 
commission ; (meaning that in the passage above quoted,) we ascribe but a 
part of it to the Presbytery, and the whole of it to the Bishops. This is the 
the jugulum causes ; (the point on which the controversy turns,) when this 
shall be once settled, the dispute comes to an end." " Let this point then, 
on which the controversy is acknowledged to turn, be examined. The 
same commission, they say, has a " division of power ;" it constitutes one, to 
whom it is given, a Bishop ; it constitutes another an Elder ; it constitutes 
a third, a preaching Deacon. But how is this proved by the commission? 
It speaks the same words to each — why then does it not convey to each 
equal rights, powers, and privileges ? Does the same commission, in the same 
words, institute different grades of office, by a " division of power" among 
different men, when it is given equally to all, without distinction of persons? 
Suppose a commission sent from the Governor of a State to three men, con- 



45 



stituting each, in precisely the same words, Captain over a company of Sol- 
diers. One of them says, fe I can perceive in this commission a " division 
of powers;" though the words to each of us are exactly the same, yet J 
"perceive they constitute me a Captain ; they constitute you my Lieutenant ; 
and they constitute you my Orderly Sergeant." What would you think of 
the discernment of this Captain ? Would you, at his direction, consent to 
act in one of these subordinate grades, under him, while you held a com- 
mission, word for word, like his ? Is it possible for the same commission, in 
the same words, to constitute one man a supreme Magistrate, another a sub- 
ordinate Magistrate, and a thir.4 man a Sheriff?" 

"For what purpose is language given, if this is the case? If such liberties 
may be taken with this passage, why not with any other passage in the Bible ? 
In this way, you may conduct the whole into nonsense ; making the same 
words from the mouth of God, mean one thing to one man, another to, an? 
pther, and another still to a third. 

When did the Apostles, or how could they ordain different orders of Min- 
isters, by virtue of this supposed " division of powers" in their commission? 
Could they have done it without being desired to assign some reason for 
such a practice ? An inferior Priest might say, " You ordain me a Minister 
of Christ, to officiate under the same commission which gives you your au- 
thority. Here is my commission to go forth, and preach the Gospel. But 
you say the same words convey to me only a part of the authority, which 
they convey to you and some others. I am not disposed to dispute your 
authority ; I only wish for explanation, that I may understand this point ? 
and be able to explain it to others." We may reasonably suppose some in- 
quisitive person would thus address the Apostles ; and they must have found 
it expedient, if not necessary, to give some explanation concerning this 
" division of powers," if they thus ordained. But nothing of this kind do 
we find in the days of the Apostles. Let the impartial then judge, whether 
they claimed such " division of powers" under their commission, and wheth- 
er such "division" be therein contained. Should it appear certain, that 
this commission does not contain this " division of powers ;" then, by the. 
concession of Dr. Bowden, the dispute is terminated in favor of those who, 
contend that Christ instituted only one order of Ministers in his Church. 

Whence then originated these different orders and grades? The Apos-_ 
ties ordained Eiders in every Church. These Elders are occasionally called 
by different names : Bishops, Elders, Presbyters ; terms in the Scriptures„ 
evidently synonymous — one and the same meaning being conveyed by each.^ 
The question returns. Wood, a celebrated Minister of the Methodist order, 
shall answer it. In his Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. I. page 185, he says: 
*■ Under the New Testament, Bishop, or overseer, is restricted to spiritual 
rulers; nor, when applied to mere man, does it ever signify more than a 
Pastor or Presbyter. No where are any but Deacons, marked as subordin- 
ate to Bishops. Phil. i. 1. 

* Archbishop Usher's Letters ; Lord King's primitive Church Grammar, and Bishop's 
Conferences ; Burnet's Reformation, Vol. t pp. 223,-324, &c. 



46 



The very same persons are called Bishops and Elders, or Presbyters,^* 
Acts xx. 17 — 23 : Titus i. 5 — 7 : 1 Peter v. 1 — 2. The name imported, 
that their business was to watch over, care for, and instruct the people. 
No man was to be admitted to the office, except he was blameless, the hus- 
band of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt 
to teach : not given to wine, no striker ; not greedy of filthy lucre ; but pa^ 
tient ; not a brawler, nor covetous. — 1 Tim. lii. 2, 3 : Titus 2 ch. It is 
agreed by Stillingfleet, Dodwell, and others of the most learned Episcopal- 
ians, that the office of Bishop, above other Pastors in the Church, has no 
foundation in the oracles of God. During the three first centuries of Chris- 
tianity, the Pastors of particular congregations were so called, but the name 
was given by way of eminence to him, who, on account of his age, or supe- 
rior judgment, presided in their courts. In the 4th and subsequent centu- 
ries, the mystery of anti-Christ began to work ; and such was the ambition 
of the clergy in the more noted cities, that they never rested, heaping their 
own devised dignities one above another, till his holiness mounted the sum- 
mit, as their universal head." 

In this manner, were different grades introduced. And is not vain man 
the same in every age ? Give him power, and he will compel a King to hold 
his stirrup, — a Frederick, to kiss his great toe.* 

Since this u division of powers," and these different grades in the Minis- 
try are not authorised by Christ's commission to his disciples, but are evi- 
dently the offspring of the pride and ambition of aspiring men. How can 
you, my Methodist brethren, support that which has no countenance or au- 
thority from the word of God ? You have seen, and I trust, have been con- 
vinced, that neither the word of inspiration, nor the best authorities, such as 
Stillingfleet, Dodwell, Wood and others, countenance the idea that Christ 
has given to his Ministers different grades of power to be exercised by them 
in his Church, such as the power of a Bishop above an Elder, an Elder 
above a Deacon, &c. Why then will ye submit to this order of things ? If 
you prize your liberty, if you prize those privileges which the Lord Jesus 
has given you, be no longer shackled and held in degradation by those who 
assume to possess superior power. Request once more a redress of griev- 
ances. If you cannot obtain it, be men ; declare your rights and maintain 
them. " Come out from among them, and be ye separate." Trust in the 
Lord, and he will support and protect you. 

Intimately 'connected with the foregoing subject, is another, on which J 
proceed to submit a few remarks. If God calls a man to the work of the 
Ministry, he unquestionably qualifies him for that work. If so, he ought 
immediately to be clothed with the full power of his sacred office, as con- 
tained in the original commission ; " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." And the Bishop, or Presbytery, or Conference that neglects, or 
refuses so to clothe him, deprives him of his right, and injures the Church 
to which he ought to administer the ordinances of divine appointment, 

■ Butl&r s Sketches, Universal History, page 122. 



47 



What part of the sacred Scripture authorises a Methodist Bishop to say, 
a man who is called of God, and qualified to preach, shall travel two years, 
before he be ordained a Deacon? And when he is so ordained, according 
to the Methodist notion j he is but half ordained, for, according to their dis 
cipline, he can perform only a part of the sacred office. 

But if I understand the office of a Deacon, as stated in the good book, his 
Methodist ordination authorizes him to do what that book does not : that is, 
to preach and baptize. A Deacon in the apostolic age, was not appointed 
to preach and baptize among the Methodists, but to manage the temporali- 
ties of the Church ; so that the ministers of the word might not be called to 
" leave the word of God to serve tables." Acts vi. 1—6. Wood, in his 
Dictionary Vol. I, p. 348, says, ''It is evident that some of the first seven 
Deacons were afterward preachers : but no where do the sacred oracles hint 
that preaching belongs to the office of a deacon." Burkitt says " There are 
but two sorts of fixed church officers mentioned by St. Paul, bishops and 
Deacons ; as every church had its own bishop, so likewise it had its own 
Deacons. These were at first instituted for the service of the poor. The 
alms of the church were brought to the altar ; the deacons received them, 
and distributed them among the aged and impotent, from house to house." 
The Methodist deacon then, by virtue of the bishop's hands being laid on 
his head, performs a work in the church, not authorized by the scriptures. 

The deacon thus ordained, according to discipline, must stand two years 
longer as a candidate for elders' orders. And when ordained for that office, 
which is the only scriptural ordination, he for the first time has a right, 
according to gospel rule, to administer baptism and the Lord's Supper. And 
it may be added, according to gospel rule, he for the first time has a right 
id preach, and administer the ordinances in a regular manner, although by 
the authority of the bishop, he has done this for four years. 

Again, there is a more glaring inconsistency in the case of the local 
preacher. By Discipline p. 29, Sec. 20, he " shall be eligible to the office 
of a deacon, after he has preached four years, after he has received a regular 
license, and has received a testimonial from the district conference to which 
he belongs." Then the local deacon, after having preached four years- 
longer, (if he conform to the requisitions of the discipline,) is eligible to the 
office of an elder. Thus the local preacher, called and qualified by the Great 
Head of the church to preach the word of life, is kept back, and forbidden 
to receive gospel ordination eight long years : for it is clearly evident that 
his first ordination, as it is called, is not sanctioned by divine authority. 
But if it be right to ordain an itinerant preacher, an Elder, after he has 
spent four years in the travelling connexion, why is it not right to ordain a 
local preacher, after he has preached the same term of time ? You say they 
are both called of God, to preach his word ; why not then place them on 
equal ground, as to holy orders? Is it because the itinerant can improve 
twice as fast, while riding on his circuit, as the local preacher can, in his 
study ? Is it not rather to keep the poor local preacher in the rear of his 
travelling brother, that he is compelled to preach eight years, before he can 



48 



be placed on a level with his brother who has preached only four years ? Is 
there any thing in the volume of Inspiration, or in the nature and fitftess of 
things, to justify such a course as either of these I have named ? If any of 
you can find such justification, do condescend to let me know where it is, 
and what it is. 

Brethren in Christ, away, away with these inventions of men. Remem- 
ber "the word of God is the only sufficient rule both of faith and practice." 
O, may this divine truth be written, and deeply engraved on your hearts. 
This truth ye all acknowledge ; why then will ye support a practice like this, 
which is not authorized by the word of God ? O, give it up, I beseech 
you, and come over on gospel ground. 

God soon makes it manifest, to whom a dispensation of the gospel is 
committed. His word in their mouth is like afire and a hammer ; a sacred 
unction attends the truths they deliver ; the heavenly dew of divine influnece 
falls upon the church of Christ, as did the literal dew on Gideon's fleece : 
in a word, they corrte to the people " in the fulness of the blessing of the 
gospel of Christ," and the people say, God is with his servants of a truth. 
And shall such men as these go eight years, or four years, or one year,- 
" weeping, bearing precious seed," not clothed with all the powers of the 
holy ministry 1 Give up, O, give up this unscriptural practice. Ordain the 
heralds of the cross to go " teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

The subjects, I have brought before the public in the preceding pages, 
have not perhaps, heretofore, received that attention which their importance 
demands. I trust hereafter they will engage the serious attention of that 
people to whom I formerly belonged, and of all others into Whose hands 
these remarks may fall. If there be any thing in the government, discipline y 
or usages, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which is erroneous or 
unscriptural, it ought to be searched out, and brought to light. No men 
on the globe are more vigilant in spying out, and exposing to public view, 
the supposed errors of other denominations, than the Methodist travelling 
preachers. Indeed, their confidence is so great in the purity of . the doc- 
trines they profess to believe, and in their own schemes, they have challenged 
to public and open combat, ministers of other denominations, whose theolo- 
gical views stood opposed to theirs. And will they think it an innovation, 
Or an injury, should their own system be a little examined? "Blessed is that 
man, who condemneth not himself in that thing which he aHoweth/* I 
have frequently said to many members of that church, that I considered 
great evils to exist in their body : not only in its Episcopal form of govern- 
ment, but in its discipline ; also in some usages, which had no existence in 
the order, when I became a travelling preacher. Indeed had some things, 
which are now urged upon the Methodist people, been introduced at that 
date, the minister introducing them would have been spurned, and his new 
systems "given to the moles and the bats." If it be asked whether there 
has been any departure from the spirit and practice of primitive Methodism, 
I answer, yes, it is even so ; ye yourselves being judges. In proof, I will 



AO 



briefly state certain things, which I cannot reconcile with the Scriptures, 
nor with the former usages and practice of the sect. 

I have already endeavored to convince you that the three orders in the 
ministry, among Methodists, are not warranted by the Scripture. But they 
not only have three, by ordination, but they have four in official power ; 
Bishops, presiding Elders, Elders, and preaching, baptizing Deacons. T shall 
bring into view the official power of each, as stated in the discipline. 

1. A Bishop. For his power, see Discipline, Sec. 4, p. 25. 1. He pre- 
sides in the Conferences, by a fixed rule, during his good behaviour, and 
while he travels at large through the connexion. He is not elected to the 
chair by vote; let his abilities be what they may, he holds the chair by a 
fixed law. 

2. He fixes the appointments of the preachers, for the several circuits- 
The people have no voice in the election of their religious instructors : who- 
ever the bishop sends, they must receive, however much they may dislike 
him. It has much surprised me to see the astonishing inconsistency of the 
Methodist people. They contend for, and nobly support an elective and 
representative government in state, while they relinquish it entirely in church. 
Well and truly was it said by a great and good minister of the Methodist 
persuasion, "We are great republicans, politically, but greater aristocrats, 
religiously." 

3. He is to oversee the temporal business of the Church. Dis. p. 25. 
What! is the bishop a deacon too? Deacons, as we have already seen, were 
appointed to take care of the temporalities of the Church, that the bishop, 
elder, or presbyter, (one and the same in office, according to the Bible,) 
might *' give himself continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 
But according to the Methodist economy, the Bishop is authorised to man- 
age the temporal, as well as the spiritual concerns of the Church. And 
what more, pray, is there for him to manage ? This is the whole : and what 
is there more ? If this be not power, I know not what power is. 

4. He ordains bishops, elders, and deacons. Dis., p. 25*. 

5. He appoints the presiding elders, and stations them. Dis. Sec. 5, p. 27. 

6. He forms the districts, according to his judgment. Dis. p. 159. 

In all this, not one word is said of the power of the people. And what, 
pray, do the people do, in all these great church matters? Nothing. But, 
ah, says the Methodist bigot, notwithstanding all the complaint about the 
power of a bishop, it is a power delegated by the people. Without contro- 
versy, let one question be considered. Why is there no local, or lay repre- 
sentation in the general and yearly Conferences? Dis. p. 19, Sec. 3. "The 
general Conference shall be composed of one member for every seven mem- 
bers of each Annual Conference, to be appointed by seniority or choicej at 
the discretion of each Annual Conference. Again, Dis., p. 22. " duest. 3. 
Who shall attend the yearly Conference? Ahs. All the travelling preach- 
ers, who are in full connexion, and those who are to be received into full 
connexion." No provision is made, for a local, or lay representation in either 
Of these conferences; and yet we are gravely told the power of the bish- 
ops and elders is delegated from the people. Were this the fact, the disci- 



50 



pline would secure to the local connexion and the members of the church, a 
representation in the conferences. But this it does not do; though it has 
often been requested in behalf of the local connexion, each request has been 
repulsed. 

In truth, local preachers are not, in some instances, permitted to attend 
as spectators. I attended the Annual Conference at Wilbraham, Mass., in 
1826. I observed that the Conference transacted some of its business with 
closed doors ; when all who were not regular members, (local preachers as 
well as others,) were obliged to withdraw. I will not say that prudence did 
not dictate this measure ; but, I confess, I thought the course pursued did 
not augur well. For if the object was to ease the Church of burdens, and 
to pursue a course which might probably ultimate in good to the people, 
their brethren, witness their proceedings, and see and hear for themselves? 
To me it is plain, and I believe it must appear so to every impartial person, 
who will examine the subject, that the government of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church in America, is aristocratic and despotic. 

II. The second grade of ministers in this church, as to official power, is 
that of Presiding Elders. This class of men, though inferior to a bishop, 
are yet considered to be superior to the elders who travel the circuit. The 
duty of the presiding elder is to travel through his appointed district. This 
district is made up of several circuits, more or less, according to the judg- 
ment of the bishops. Furthermore, in the absence of a bishop, he takes 
charge of all the elders and deacons, travelling and local preachers and ex- 
horters in his district. In a word, his duty may be considered to be con- 
tained in Discipline, p. 27, Sec. 5. " Quest. 2. What are the duties of a 
presiding elder ? Ans. 6. To oversee the spiritual and temporal business 
of the Church in his district." 

My object in noticing this church officer, superior to all others in the 
Methodist connexion, a bishop excepted, is not so much to state his work, 
as set forth in the discipline, as to inquire whether there was ever an officer 
of this name, designed to be inferior to a bishop, and superior to a presbyter, 
or elder, in any church, ancient or modern, formed on the gospel plan, ex- 
cept in the Methodist connexion. — I think there never was : search and see. 
This officer, according to the reading of his duty, appears to be both pre- 
siding elder and deacon. For he, as well as the bishop, is to oversee both 
the spiritual and temporal concerns of the Church. 

The bishop then performs the work of a deacon ; the presiding elder per- 
forms the work of a deacon ; and the ordained Methodist deacon, performs 
a work not authorised by the Bible, viz. preaching and baptizing. In these 
respects, the whole three act out of their proper sphere. The bishop or el- 
der, (the same according to Scripture) ought not to leave the word of God 
to serve tables — to oversee the temporal concerns of the Church.* This 
is no part of his office; let the deacons perform that work ; it belongs to 

*Is it not surprising, that Methodist ministers, who say so many hard things against 
ministers of other denominations on account of high salaries, money matters, &c, yet 
say and do more in these matters than any other sect whatever ? They too, love the 
loaves and fishes. 



51 



them by divine appointment. And let not the deacons do that, which the 
word of God does not authorize. 

As a Methodist presiding elder, is an officer peculiar to the connexion in 
America,* it may not be amiss to inquire whether such an officer is neces- 
sary. I have long been of opinion, that this office is unnecessary, and an 
expensive burden to the Church. It is unnecessary, because the work per- 
formed* by a presiding elder can be as well, and as seasonably performed by 
a circuit elder. It may be said that, on some circuits, we have unoidained 
preachers, who are not authorised by the discipline to administer the ordi- 
nances. But a better remedy may be found for this evil, than to have a 
man wasting the principal part of his time, travelling, when he ought to be 
in his study, writing, or instructing the people, and preaching the word of 
li/e. Let your ministers be ordained, as soon as evidence is obtained that 
God has committed unto them a dispensation of the gospel. Then, being 
clothed with the full powers of the ministry, they will be completely " fur- 
nished to every good word and work ;" and the people, to whom they min- 
ister, will have no cause to complain of a "lack of service." 

It is an expensive burden to the Church, as will appear by examining the 
provision made for a presiding elder's support. Dis. p. 179. " There shall 
be a meeting in every district, of one steward from each station and circuit, 
to be selected from among the stewards by the quarterly meeting Conference, 
whose duty it shall be, by and with the advice of the presiding elder, (who 
shall preside in such meeting,) to take into consideration the general state 
of the district, in regard to temporalities, and to furnish a house, fuel, and 
table expenses for the presiding elders." From the observance of this rule* 
a two-fold expense arises. 1. To the Stewards. The time spent by them 
in the performance of this service, is a heavy burden. Some of them must 
necessarily travel several miles; all must spend considerable time; pay 
their own expenses ; and receive no compensation for their services. 2. To 
the district, In addition to providing houses, fuel, and table expenses for 
the preachers on the several circuits and stations, the people are obliged to 
provide the same also for the presiding elder. 

As a salary, over and above his house rent, fuel, and table expenses, the 
presiding elder takes all the surplus money, if such there may be, in the 
several stations and circuits in his district, provided such surplus do not ex- 
ceed his annual allowance. But in case there is no surplus, he shares with 
the preachers in his district, in proportion to what each has received. Dis. 
p. 29, Sec. 5. In addition to the above, there is a quarterly love feast col- 
lection taken up at each quarterly meeting, for the support of the presiding 
elder. All this money, it will be recollected, is drawn from the people, in 
addition to the sums they are obliged to pay to the travelling preachers who 
are stationed over them. 

All this, I consider, a useless waste of money ; because the man receiv- 
ing it, renders no more service to the Church than the circuit and stationed 
elders might just as well render. The Methodists in England, have no 

* There is none in the British Methodist Conference^. 



52 



oishops, no presiding eiders. No, thank God, they move on the apostolic 
plan. In their conferences, they elect a president by vote or ballot. Differ- 
ent men, at different times, fill the chair. No man is elected to the Presi- 
dency for life, like a Methodist Bishop in America. They "call no man 
Rabbi, for one is their master, even Christ, and all they are brethren." 

The American Methodists make a great noise about the pious Wesley ? 
and call him their Father; but I am sorry to say his children, (if they may 
be so called,) have far, very ? far, departed from the excellent examples he 
left them. Mr, Wesley was no bishop, no presiding elder. Read his letter 
to bishop Asbury, and you will learn what he thought of these dignified 
titles, and the movements of his little Franky, as he called him. Why have 
not the Methodists in England elected to the office of bishop those wonders 
of the age in which we live — Clark, Watson, Bunting, and Wood ? Be- 
cause they have not so learned Christ ; they were not so instructed by the 
venerable and pious man, who founded the sect to which they belong. 
And still the Methodists in America call themselves "Wesleyan Metho- 
dists." They call Wesley their Father, and the Methodist Church of Eng- 
land, the " Mother Church." O, I am very sorry they have so far departed 
from the excellent examples of both Father and Mother. 

An extract of Mr. Wesley's letter, referred to above, follows : " But in 
one point, my dear brother, I am a little afraid both the doctor* and you 
differ from me ; I study to be little ; you study to be great : I creep ; you 
strut along : I found a school j you a college ; nay, and call it after your 
own names.t Oh, beware ! do not seek to be something ; let me be noth- 
ing, and Christ be all in all. Qne instance of this, of your greatness, has 
given me great concern. How can you, how dare you, suffer yourself to be 
called bishop 1 I shudder, I start at the very thought ; men may call me a 
knave or a fool, a rascal or a scoundrel ; and I am content ; but they shall 
never, by my consent, call me bishop. For my sake, for God's sake, for 
Christ's sake, put a full end to this ; let the Methodists know their calling 
better."! 

III. The third grade of ministers in the Methodist Episcopal Church, as 
to official power, is the travelling elder ; he appears to be an officer, inferi- 
or to a bishop and presiding elder, and superior to a preaching and baptiz- 
ing deacon. Any person, desirous to know the duty and work assigned to 
a travelling elder, may learn it by reading Bis., p. 30, Sect. 6, and p. 38, 
Sect. 9. If as I have endeavored to show, all ordained ministers "are on 
a perfect level, under their one only High Priest in heaven," and according 
to the scriptures have the same commission and office, then the Methodist 
notion of a distinction between a bishop and presiding elder, a presiding 
elder and a travelling elder, is unscriptural and absurd. 

Having nothing to object to the last named order of ministers, which is 

the only true order, according to the gospel, I would not write another line 

respecting them, did not the discipline of their Church authorize them to 

exercise a power over the people which the Bible does not authorize. This 

* Dr - Coke. t Cokesbury College, twice burned down. The name was formed from 
the names of its founders, Coke and Asbury. ' i Wesley's life by Moore, vol. 2, p. 285, 



53 



power, and the abuse of it have caused long and increasing complaints from 
many members of that Church. It may not be amiss to notice this subject, 
Dis. p. 39 — " He (the travelling elder) is to overlook the accounts of all 
the stewards ; to appoint a person to receive the quarterly collection in the 
classes j to see that public collections be made quarterly, if need be ; to 
raise a yearly subscription in those circuits that can bear it, for building 
churches, and paying the debts of those which have been already erected ; 
to choose a committee of lay members to make a just application of the 
money where it is most wanted." Do not these rules give the travelling 
elder a controlling influence over the money concerns of the church, which 
does not belong to him ? We learn from the quotations heretofore made* 
that the bishops, presiding elders, and travelling elders have the manage- 
ment of the temporal, as well as the spiritual concerns of the Church. 
This I view to be unscriptural and improper. " Let the ministers of Christ 
give themselves continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word ;" and 
let the deacons and the church manage the temporalities. 

Another power conveyed to the travelling elder is, the right he has, ac- 
cording to Dis. p. 89, Sec. 7, to try the accused by a committee of his own 
selection and appointment. Should the preacher in charge possess a little 
prejudice against the accused, (as is sometimes the case,) the accused would 
have but a small chance to receive justice, as the preacher is chairman of 
the committee of his own choice. I have, in my possession a short docu- 
ment, presented me by a person who has been a member of the Methodist 
E. Church for the last twenty six years, whose case will illustrate my ideas 
of this power, and its abuse. 

The deponent saith that, " on the third of January, 1828, I was accused 
by certain persons, members of the Methodist Society, and by Rev. Isaac 
Jennison, was cited to trial, without any previous gospel labor on the part 
of my accusers. I had about 24 hours to prepare for trial. I appeared and 
plead not prepared — requested an adjournment, which was granted for eight 
days. I requested the privilege of choosing a part of the committee, but 
was denied. I then pleaded that being old, infirm, and forgetful, I wanted 
an assistant, and named Br. M'Lean, but was denied. I attended according 
to adjournment: and after a long investigation, the verdict was, to put me 
back on trial for six months,* in case I would not join the class in the neigh- 
borhood where I lived ; but in case I would so do, to retain my standing as. 
formerly ; and at the expiration of the six months, in case I did not join said 
class, to be expelled. I then requested Mr. Jennison, to give me the accu- 
sations alleged against me, and the doings of the committee in this case, in 
writing, but was denied. To the above, I solemnly attest. Reuben Frost." 

This is the power the Methodist preachers exercise over the people. O, 
how many worthy men and women have been treated in this manner, yea, 
some much worse; and possibly, reader, thou art the person. Read Mat. 

* A kind of Popish penance. The Methodists are very fond of their six months trial. 
They formerly reproached the Presbyterians on account of their "half way covenant:" 
but if this be not a " half way" business, what is ? Perhaps this is a plan of policy, to ob- 
tain young converts sooner than otherwise. A certain M. Preacher said, " let us be sure 
to salt down our fish, as fast as 'we catch them." A Camp Meeting practice, 



54 



xviii. 15 — 17, and compare it with the above. From such a system of 
Church government, "Good Lord deliver the people." 

IV. The last order of ministers I shall notice in the M. E. Church, as to 
" official power," is that of Deacons. If the word of Cod, and the authori- 
ties I have quoted, are entitled to credit, then certainly the official power 
exercised by a Methodist Deacon, in the church is wrong, and ought not 
to be. Yet it is a fact that on many circuits, a man, on whose head the 
Bishop has laid his hands, exercises all the functions of the holy ministry, 
except consecrating the Eucharist. See Dis. p. 38. Sec. 9. " The word of 
God, being the only sufficient rule both of faith and practice;" why I ask, 
have the Methodists in America so far departed from that rule, as, by a sel- 
created authority, to constitute one man a Bishop, another a presiding 
elder, another a travelling elder, and a fourth a preaching and baptizing 
deacon 1 I say to you plainly and lovingly, ye have not a " Thus saith the 
Lord," for such a practice. Neither have ye the precept or example of the 
venerable John "Wesley ; he warned you, almost with his dying breath, " for 
my sake, for God's sake, for Christ's sake, put a full end to this." To what ! 
To the name bishop. What sophistical argument, or twist, or turn, can be 
made to evade the force of this advice. O, ye American Methodist, awake 
from your slumbers, lest while ye sleep on, " ye may be awakened by the 
clanking of your chains." 

Certain persons may say, while reading my closing remarks, thou bring- 
est new and strange things to our ears. They may be so to some ; but not 
to all. To the former I would say, read my remarks attentively, charitably, 
and candidly ; and I am assured your conclusion will be that my statements 
are facts. And you will be led to see how far the American Methodists 
have departed from the practices and usages of the mother Church in Eng- 
land, the advice given by the great founder of the sect, and from the word 
of God. To the latter I would sap, your eyes are open to see the eviJs which 
exist in the M. E. Church, in America, and doubtless you mourn on the 
account. In my late tour, I found the dissatisfaction to be great ; in almost 
every family I visited, I heard more or less respecting the increasing power, 
popularity, pride, love of ease and love of money, manifested by the travel- 
ling preachers. Whenever I found a primitive Methodist, his language was 
like this ; "The crown is fallen from our heads ; woe unto us, that we have 
sinned." The printed accounts of great reformations, and large additions 
to the Church, did not convince them that all they read was true ; and that 
the reported increase of members was a proof of increase of holiness. 

Let me inquire what mean the following things? 1st. The great exertiong 
made by preachers to obtain their salaries, Look at the provision they have 
made for themselves in their discipline, and the exertions they are making 
to raise this fixed salary, with other supplies. I said they have made — for 
I am sure the local Preachers and members had nothing to do in making 
the discipline ; it is wholly the work of the travelling priests : they are the 
first and the last of every thing in Methodism ; the local preachers, and the 
members are only lookers on. And be assured, the travelling connexion, 
having all the power in their own hands, have manifested no disposition to 



wrong themselves, however their operations may affect the people of their 
charge. Dis. p. 171. Sec. 41. " The annual allowance of the travelling 
preachers shall be $100, and their travelling expenses. 2d. The annual 
allowance of the wives of travelling preachers shall be $100. 3d. Each 
child of a travelling preacher shall be allowed $16 annually, to the age 
of seven years ; and $24 annually from the age of seven- to fourteen 
years." In addition to this, see Dis. p. 179. " It shall be the duty of 
the said committee, or one appointed for that purpose, who shall be members 
of our church, to make an estimate of the amount necessary to furnish fuel, 
table expenses," &c. &,c. His house rent is likewise given him, over and 
above his salary ; see Dis. p. 177. We will suppose a travelling preacher 
to have a wife and four children, two under seven years of age, and two be- 
tween seven and fourteen. In that case, the money salary of the preacher 
is as follows — $200 for himself and wife ; and $80 for the four children. 
House rent, table expenses, and fuel, estimated at from $150 to $200. This 
added to the above, makes about $480. Add to this, the preacher has his 
travelling expenses allowed him, and receives his board and horse keeping 
gratuitously among his brethren, as he passes round his circuit. 

But says the objector, though the above provision is made, yet we do no1 
realize it. If not, it cannot be the fault of the preachers ; for they leave no 
method untried, which they can invent, to raise it. Possibly, on some cir 
cuits, the whole amount is not raised ; in that case, the deficiency is mado 
up, so far as the annual produce of the charter fund, and the annual divid- 
end of the profits accruing from the book concern can make it up. See Dis. 
p. 175. The fact is, many travelling preachers at the present day are ac- 
cumulating property; if not, how is it that some of them, who began to 
travel with not a cent, have now their hundreds in the bank, and money at 
interest ; purchase farms and handsome country seats ; own their fine horses 
and carriages and dress themselves and families elegantly? O, ye Meth- 
odist people, look back to former years, and consider the humble style in 
which the primitive M. preachers passed through this land, and compare 
their conduct with that of the moderns. Their cry was " give us souls for 
our hire." The cry among many of the moderns is, "money, money, give 
us more money, or we will preach to you no more." 

Do you not hear some say, put us, we pray thee, into the Wesleyan Acad- 
emy, that we may be made ministers, so that we may obtain for ourselves a 
" bit of bread and a piece of silver ?" And yet we are gravely told there is 
more vital godliness in the ministers and members of the M. E. Church, 
than formerly. I know there is more printed about reformations, and reli- 
gious enjoyments, but does it follow that the Methodists are more holy, 
meek and humble in heart than formerly? 

If you wish a satisfactory answer, visit certain towns, in which your "Her- 
ald" has stated that God has wrought wonders in the salvation of souls. — 
Such towns I have visited, and have heard Methodists say, "Br. M'Lean, if I 
thought the accounts of reformations, printed in the " Herald," were no 
more true, generally, than that of a reformation in the town where I reside, 
I would take the paper no longer." And is there not some misrepresenta- 
tions occasionally in the obituary department? 

O, ye, who were once my brethren by visible profession, be honest before 
God ; keep down in the dust ; let this be the language of your hearts, 

Make me little and unknown, 
Love'd and prais'd by God alone." 

Put away from you these high things. Why this exhibition of pride in the 
style of building many of your chapels ; the parade and show in dedicating 
them ; the high toned accounts of the performances of the Reverends who 
assisted in their dedication ? Why is all this fulsome incense of flattery 



t£fft RY 0F CONGRESS 



50 



III 

021 




offered to poor worms of the dust, in almost every " Herald" published ? 
Why this publishing on the house top the alms and good deeds of individuals 
byname? Why these honorary titles, blazoned abroad, received not by 
merit, but as a mere compliment I Why will ye feed the monster pride in 
this way? Look, I beseech you, at the precepts and example of the meek 
and lowly Nazarene, who said " call no man Rabbi," and who said " when 
thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
doeth ; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father which seeth in 
secret himself shall reward thee openly." 

2. Pardon the liberty I take in making one more inquiry. Are not the 
Methodists, in this country, too much governed by " frames and feelings?" 
Are there not many wild extravagances in what are called religious exerci- 
ses at camp meetings, and a new fashioned meeting, of late invention, called 
a " four days meeting." I pass no sentence, but invite your attention to 
the manner in which the worship of God ought to be conducted, as recorded 
in the New Testament, and to the opinion of that great and good man, Rev. 
J. Wesley. (Wesley's Sermons, Vol. 9. page 182.) He says, " some may 
be afraid lest the refraining from these warm expressions, or even gently 
checking them, should check the fervor of our devotion. It is very possible 
it may check, or even prevent some kind of fervor, which has passed for 
devotion. Possibly it may prevent loud shouting, horrid, unnatural scream- 
ing, repeating the same words twenty or thirty times, jumping two or three 
feet high, and throwing about the arms and legs of both men and women, 
in a manner shocking, not only to religion, but common decency." Again, 
Mr. Wesley, in his letter to Mr. Maxfield (see his Life by Moore, Vol. 2. 
p. 187,) says "I dislike several things therein ; (meaning the manner in 
which Mr. M. conducted his meetings ;) " the speaking or praying of sever- 
al at once ; the using improper expression in prayer ; sometimes too bold, if 
not irreverent ; sometimes too pompous and magnificent; extolling your- 
selves rather than God ; and telling him what you are, not what you want ; 
your using postures and gestures highly indecent; your screaming, even to 
make the words, unintelligible ; your bitterly condemning any that oppose, 
calling them wolves, &,c. and pronouncing them hypocrites or not justified." 

Now, is there not much of this, yea all, practised by some American 
Methodists ? Remember the Apostle Paul, and Mr. Wesley were opposed 
to it. The subject is left for your candid reflection. 

I have said, and I once more repeat it, I know of no sect, whose preach- 
ers, by their own self-created power, secure to themselves such unlimited 
control of the money matters, and other emoluments of office, as do the 
Methodist travelling preachers. In addition to salaries, house rent, fuel, 
table expenses, &c, chapels and parsonage houses are secured to the 
Bishops and Conference exclusively, by deed. Dis. pp. 160 — 169, and p. 
177. As I understand a " deed of settlement," (so called,) I see not why 
the Bishop and Conference have not the power to dispose of such houses, to 
the best advantage, and appropriate the avails as they may see proper, in 
case the Methodist Society becomes extinct, or nearly so, in any town or 
place, where such chapel or parsonage house may stand. Dis. p. 167. 

On the whole, have not the Bishops and Conference the entire control, 
not only of the spiritual, but also of the temporal concerns of the Church ? 
They fix their own salaries ; secure to themselves chapels and parsonage 
houses ; send to the people such ministers as they please ; try accused local 
preachers and private members by committees of their own appointments, 
in which committees they themselves preside. And what are the people in 
all these great matters ? As I before observed, they are lookers on, and 
nothing more. Would to God that the people would arouse from their leth- 
argy, and by one united effort, throw off this yoke of bondage which is too 
grievous to be borne. 



